


Watchtower Cafeteria

by littlechinesedoll



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Superman (Comics), World's Finest (Comics)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Family, Fluff, Jealousy, Kid Fic, M/M, Papa Clark, Slash, daddy bruce
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-05
Updated: 2015-01-07
Packaged: 2017-11-11 11:24:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/478017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlechinesedoll/pseuds/littlechinesedoll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark wants to tell Bruce what he feels. However, someone already got to Bruce first. But Clark isn't going to give up. Clark Kent x Bruce Wayne. Oliver Queen x Bruce Wayne.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Watchtower Cafeteria

**Author's Note:**

> ~Dick Grayson is 15 years old. Nightwing.  
> ~Jason is alive and well. He's ten here. Robin.  
> ~Tim is four years old. Bruce's baby boy. LOL.  
> ~They are all Bruce's kids. Tim isn't a Boy Wonder yet but he's getting there.  
> ~One-sided Green Arrow/Batman [Oliver Queen/Bruce Wayne]  
> ~Sorta AU.

For once, nothing apocalyptic was happening in outer space, and on earth. Sure there were some fires that needed putting out and kittens to be rescued from a tree, but they were easy to handle. Most of the members of the Justice League were at the Watchtower, mingling with each other, chatting as they walked through the hallways, and of course the uncontrolled lovemaking in their respective chambers.

Shayera made her way to the cafeteria, where a lot of members were having their lunch. After taking a can of soda, some pasta and a few side dishes from their cafeteria lady, she spotted Clark sitting alone, having his lunch quietly after a very tiring deep space mission that went on for three days. He was having his lunch quietly while staring at the Dark Knight who was on the other side of the room, also having lunch.

"So," Shayera sat down beside Clark, who obviously was a bit startled by her sudden intrusion to his daydreaming. "When are you gonna tell him?" she stabbed a piece of penne pasta covered in red tomato sauce and ate it.

He tried to look confused. Had he been discovered? "Tell who? What?"

The hawk rolled her eyes. "You know, you're easily the most powerful man in the Justice League and on Earth, and you can't even tell Bruce that you have a thing for him," he continued on eating the pasta. It was nice. Better than last week's. She preferred red sauce over white and pesto.

"I didn't-it's not-Bruce-" Clark couldn't make a complete sentence, since he didn't know what to say first. True, he had liked Bruce for years, but he never had the courage to tell him. Even though he was Superman, it didn't mean that he wasn't human. He was human in a lot of ways, especially when it came to feelings. "I can't, Shayera," he finally managed to say, shaking his head, and going back to eating his pitiful lunch. Clark was getting sick of commissary food.

"Admit it, you liked him the moment he agreed to fund this second Watchtower. If only you saw the way you stared at him while he programmed our system," Shayera smiled at him. Her smile had meaning behind it. "It's funny. You, oh great and powerful Superman, leader of the Justice League, founding member and one of the original seven, can't tell the person he likes his feelings," she took a swig of the soda.

"It's not that simple you know," said Clark, also emptying his can of soda. He made a mental note to get another one.

"It is that simple," said Shayera, "you go up to him and tell him you like him. Or tell him you've been in love with him for years. Or, if you're not that blunt, ask him out on a date as Clark Kent. Fly over to Gotham, catch him as Bruce Wayne, and ask him out on a date."

"We're talking about Bruce Wayne here," whispered Clark, "I don't think I can afford anything he actually likes on a reporter's salary,"

"Then don't take him out somewhere expensive." Said Shayera, "You can cook. You prepare the food the two of you are going to eat. Redecorate your apartment for a night. Move your bed, take a table for two, and a candlelit dinner under the moonlight."

"How do you-"

"Know all these things?" she cut him off, "Clark, I've been on Earth for a long time now, and I know how to use the internet and the DVD player,"

"Oh, well…" Clark looked at Bruce, who gave back his tray to the cafeteria lady. "I don't know," he sighed. "I just…don't think I can tell him. He's Batman. He's the 'I don't have time to pursue a relationship especially within the team,' type."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't try." Shayera put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Look, carrying a crush on a person for years isn't easy. It's not only me who's noticed how you look at him. Of course, I haven't the slightest the idea if Bruce has noticed, but you know him, he couldn't care less who stares at him for hours at a time. But we know Clark, and you should make your move," she felt like a big sister to Clark. "It's hard to confess, I know. I've seen our members time and time again try to confess to the ones they like. You can do it, Clark. You're Superman after all," she smiled.

"Thanks, Shayera," Clark too, smiled a bit. "I'll guess I'll just have to gather up more courage then," he looked again at Bruce's table, and he was gone. "Excuse me," he got up, gave his tray to the cafeteria lady, and forgot the can of soda he made a mental note of.

Clark went straight to the bridge. He didn't even know why he went to the bridge. Bruce would most probably be in his own quarters fiddling with his own system there, but he still went to the bridge. He went over to J'onn, who was supervising the new members he'd deployed somewhere in New York, where a big fire was. "Have you seen Bruce?" he asked the Martian.

"He asked to be beamed to Gotham," answered J'onn. "I believe it's those times that he's been away from home too long,"

* * *

"Where are we going again?"

"For the last time, Kent. We're going to LexCorp Airfield to cover Bruce Wayne's arrival, and the charity event he's holding here," answered Lois exasperatedly.

"Why?" asked Clark, "Why us? Haven't we done that before? The first time he came here? Why can't we just cover the party?"

He was going to do business with  _Bruce Wayne_. He was the last person Clark wanted to interview. He would probably blurt out something like, 'I'm in love with you!' Of course, Bruce would the first person Lois would want to interview. He'd only been home for two days, after three days on a deep space mission, and this was the kind of welcome home assignment he got.

"Ask Perry. Are you trying to get out of this assignment?" Lois eyed him. "If you don't want to do the article, fine, you can go."

"It's not that I don't want to do this article, Lois. We already did the last one. Why are we doing it again?" Yes, Clark didn't want to do the article, mainly because it was about the man he'd been in love with for the past two years.

It never made sense to him, on why he just had to fall in love with the darkest person on the planet. With the person who almost never gave a fuck about anything. With the person who'd probably give a fuck, but then the world would probably end if he did. Maybe because underneath that harsh exterior, behind the biting, caustic sarcasm and the insinuations that were almost always true, Bruce had the kindest soul, he had the most intelligent mind, and the biggest, loving heart he'd ever seen. And he looked up to him even more when he had heard about Ace, that child member of the Royal Flush Gang.

"I don't know, okay?" said Lois, stopping behind the other reporters who were so close to the jet named  _WAYNE_  that they looked like they wanted to go up the stairs and rip the door off the plane's body. "Just be ready when he comes out of that plane or comes up to us. We'll ask some questions, or we could arrange a meeting with him,"

Clark sighed. "Okay,"

The plane door opened, revealing a dashing man in one of the sharpest suits Clark had ever seen. Bruce Wayne stepped out of the plane, with his brilliant blue eyes and charming smile, and went down the stairs. He was followed by Oliver Queen in his own sharp suit, the billionaire from Star City.

 _Arrow?_  Thought Clark,  _Why is Bruce with Arrow?_  Clark didn't know if he was angry, or jealous. He didn't know if Arrow and Bruce were together but if they were, he regretted not saying anything. There was a twinge... not just a twinge, it was like his heart twisted in regret. He regretted every minute he was quiet and the chances that he didn't take. He wasn't angry at Arrow. He was angry at himself.

A young man, maybe in his teens, also in a suit like Bruce's, holding the hand of a handsome little boy, followed Oliver Queen. Behind him, also another child, maybe ten or eleven years of age.

Lois' eyes widened. "Why is Oliver Queen with him? Who are those boys?" she asked particularly at no one. "Are they his kids?" She saw Bruce walk past the other reporters, and the eldest boy carried the youngest into his arms, shielding him from the prying media. The youngest boy wriggled his way out of the eldest's arms, and ran to Bruce and held his hand. Bruce smiled and held the boy's tiny hand in his.

Clark put on a smile.

"Clark, Lois," said Bruce, approaching them with a smile. "It's nice to see you again." Tim hid behind Bruce's leg. He chuckled. "This is Tim, my youngest. And Jason, and Richard," Tim waved at Clark and Lois, and Jason and Dick offered hands, which the Daily Planet reporters shook gladly. "And Oliver Queen," Clark was almost reluctant to take Arrow's handshake, but he took it nonetheless, not showing any second thoughts.

"A pleasure to meet you," both Bruce's elder sons said.

"We've met," Oliver told Clark, "Don't know if you remember me, though,"

"I do," said Clark, "It's good to see you again, Mr. Queen," Clark knew they both knew who each other were, and Clark decided to just go along with what Arrow said. It was better that they didn't pretend to not know each other.

 _Bruce has kids_ , thought Clark.  _Three kids_.

"Your kids!" Lois bent down a little to greet Tim. "Aren't you the cutest little thing," she said to Tim, who went red and went further behind Bruce. Lois chuckled, and straightened back up. "Aren't they just like their father. Handsome boys, Bruce,"

"Thank you, Lois," Bruce looked at Tim, who was shyly looking up at Lois.

"Mr. Wayne, Mr. Queen, your car," said the man in a suit who opened the limo door for them.

"We better go, Ollie," Bruce said to Arrow.

Clark didn't like it. He didn't like how Bruce said Arrow's name. It almost sounded affectionate. He was green with envy. So envious that he wanted to punch the archer in front of Lois and beat him to a bloody pulp.

But that wasn't him.

"I'll see you soon, Clark," said Bruce moving to walk away, "I trust you'll be the one who'll cover the event for The Planet?"

"Uh…" he started, "Yeah, yeah. Lois and I will be there," he almost stammered. It was okay for him to stammer at the moment, since he was Clark Kent after all, not Superman.

"I'll have someone pick you up," with another charming smile, Bruce waved goodbye, and Tim imitated him, shyly waving as they walked away.

Clark could hear the boys talking to him as they walked over to the limo. "Jeez, I hate it when you call me Richard," said the eldest.

"You're going to have to get used to it Dick," said Bruce, "This is business. Nicknames won't do,"

"Yeah, Bruce," said Oliver, "If nicknames don't work, don't call me Ollie in front of the Boy Scout," he chuckled a bit.

"Force of habit," he said before getting in the car himself.

"Kent? Are you listening to me?" Lois' voice darted through the voice of Bruce and Oliver, and shook Clark off his intent listening.

"What?" Clark looked at Lois.

"You know what, I give up. I won't say it again," Lois started to walk off the runway tarmac.

"Sorry, Lois. I'm just not myself," said Clark, following her.  _Not after what we've seen today._


	2. Competition

Clark would never be able to get used to what kind of life Bruce lived. Currently he was in the limo that was sent to pick him and Lois up from their apartments. Lois, by some freak accident caused by the Gods, suddenly had to withdraw her promised presence from the event. He had expected Lois to do all the talking with Bruce and Arrow, whatever their reasons for visiting Metropolis were, aside from the charity event.

He was not happy at all.

He was about to open the limo door when they arrived at the Metropolis Twin Towers, where all the high profile events in Metropolis were held, when the driver told him not to. He wanted to ask why, but then he remembered that Bruce didn't open his own door. People opened doors for Bruce.

"Thank you," he said to the driver as he stepped out of the limo, and tried to give him a little tip. But the driver declined the offer with a smile, and told Clark he'd been already paid half a year's salary to just get Clark to the party, and to get him home safely. The driver had stressed the word _safely_. "Oh," was the only word Clark could say to what the driver told him. He said another thank you, and went in the gala.

Clark couldn't believe that he was walking on a red carpet. _A red carpet_. This would probably the first and last time that this was going to happen. When Bruce threw a party, it was no doubt a party. Batman would settle for no less.

The night sky was being cooperative and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The moon was out, and the stars were shining. Clark hoped it would stay that way all night. The last thing he wanted for Bruce and his kids, and Arrow was trouble.

"Good evening, sir. Name please?" asked one man from the front desk. He held the list of the people who were attending the event.

"Kent. Clark Kent," said Clark.

The man browsed the list, and his eyes widened when he saw Clark's name under the VIP list. "I'm sorry I made you wait sir," he said nervously, as if he'd done something wrong.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Clark, following the man inside the building.

"No sir, it's just that you're on the VIP list and Mr. Wayne told us to specifically give you our first class service," he answered.

 _VIP?_ Clark repeated mentally. _Since when did I become a VIP in galas like this?_ He looked around, unable to fathom how much Bruce had spent for the decorations, the food and the rental of the place. He was also unable to imagine how much money this event was going to reel in.

The man led him up a spiral staircase, decorated with thick, glittery golden lace, large, yellow paper poinsettias and what looked like gold garland wrapped around the railing. Clark noticed that the place's theme was gold. Well, most of it was gold. There were some bright and pale yellows here and there.

"Where are we going if the party is that way?" he asked the man when they went past the open doors of what looked like a ballroom filled with men in tuxes and women in gowns and jewelry, mingling away with glasses of champagne in their hands. He knew he should have dressed better. What on Earth was he thinking wearing a tie and not a bow?

"To Mr. Wayne's suite, sir," answered the concierge, leading him to the executive elevator.

He didn't even bother to ask why they were going to use the executive elevator. The man was probably going to say, 'He told us specifically to give you our first class service.' Repetitive bastard. He thought Bruce would be somewhere on the 15th floor, until the man pushed the button to the penthouse.

Why am I still surprised?

_Because you don't hang out with Bruce Wayne more. You keep on imagining what Batman's butt would look like behind the cape, and keep staring at it when you get the chance._

_SHUT UP._

The elevator music was nice.

And then they reached the penthouse. As soon as the lift doors opened, the little boy Clark had seen the day before on LexCorp Airfield tarmac was in a tiny tux was running towards the elevator, then stopped when he saw the reporter.

"Tim! Come back here!"

Clark saw it was the eldest, Richard, coming after his youngest brother. "Hey," he stepped out of the elevator, and greeted Bruce's kids.

"Hello, Mr. Kent," Dick greeted back, catching up with Tim. He held the younger boy's hand in his. "Glad you could make it,"

"Yes, well. Your dad is very persuasive," he chuckled, and then looked at Tim. "Hey there, little guy,"

Tim looked up at Clark. Then turned around and ran back to the suite. "DADDYYYYYY!"

"Excuse me," Dick smiled at Clark, and again went after Tim. "And I thought crime fighting was tiring," he muttered under his breath.

Clark raised a brow. _Must be a Robin_ , he thought, going after them. There were no people on the floor, and Clark immediately assumed that Bruce rented the whole floor so that they could be alone.

"Clark Kent is here," he heard Dick from the room they went in.

"Good," said Bruce. He heard him pick Tim up and put him on the sofa. "Don't run around too much. You'll ruin your clothes, and you'll tire out before the party starts." He told the boy.

"Yes, Daddy." Tim answered. Clark smiled. So _this_ was why Batman was part-time. Because he was a full-time dad.

Who knew Batman would make a great dad? All of his sons seemed like ideal children. Clark thought good looks, intelligence and charisma ran in the family. Tim would most likely grow up the same as his brothers. Clark was assuming that girls already ran after Dick back in Gotham, and maybe in Metropolis, too, after tonight.

"Can you help me with this?" it was Arrow. Clark's smile vanished and his brows furrowed. He clenched a fist, and resisted punching a hole in the wall. Bruce was going to pay for it if he did. "I can't seem to tie this thing properly," Besides, punching a hole in the wall wouldn't really end up with a hole in the wall, to say the least. He could probably bring down the whole floor.

Clark knocked on the door, which was immediately opened by Bruce's second eldest, Jason. "Hi," he greeted the boy.

"Hi," answered Jason, "He's in there with Ollie,"

Clark seriously wanted to punch through something. It was like Arrow's name pissed him off. The way they address him, so casually with a nickname, it made his blood boil. He went in, and saw Bruce in the living room with Arrow, fixing the archer's bowtie by the large window that overlooked the night lights of Metropolis.

"You made it," Bruce smiled at him, and made the final adjustments to Arrow's tie. "Where's Lois?"

"Hey," Arrow greeted Clark with one wave. "Thanks, Bruce."

"The pretty lady!" Tim giggled, hopping off the sofa and running to Bruce. "The pretty lady?"

Clark just found the boy adorable. He was even more amazed at Bruce when he saw how he treated his kids. "She called this morning and said she wouldn't be able to make it. Didn't tell me why though," answered Clark, watching Tim raise his hands up, telling Bruce he wanted to be carried.

"Too bad," Bruce turned to the boy, "Yes, Tim. The pretty lady," he smiled at the boy and picked him up. "Richard, will you please excuse us and take your brothers to the other room. Clark, Ollie and I have something to discuss," he passed Tim over to Dick.

There it was again. Arrow's name. He hated it. Well, not literally Arrow's name. Maybe it as how Bruce said Arrow's name. Bruce sounded fond. He sounded cozy. He sounded too damn comfortable – _Calm down, Clark. Calm down. Don't jump into conclusions._ He told himself not to jump to conclusions, when he had already done it. _It's just because they're not in costume. Calm down._

"Sure, Dad," Dick nodded and took Tim.

"But Daddy…" Tim whined, frowning. He reached for Bruce as soon as he was in Dick's arms. "I don't wanna go…"

"It's okay. We won't be long," Bruce assured Tim, who calmed down and went back to Dick's arms. "If something comes up, Tim is both your responsibility."

"Yes, Dad," both answered, and went to the other room.

"If something comes up?" Clark repeated, raising a brow at Bruce.

"With Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen here, it's not going to be a surprise if someone wanted to sabotage the party." Bruce led them to sit down around the coffee table. "We're here to represent Gotham and Star City. Where the money goes, the crooks go. There will be no doubt that every woman at the party will be wearing at least one diamond ring and a pearl necklace."

Clark was surprised at how fast Bruce could change his mood, but he expected it. One minute he was this amazing father in front of three wonderful boys, and then he's suddenly Batman again when he was left alone with him and Arrow.

"I told J'onn earlier that we're going to need supervision while the party's going on," said Arrow, "So Bruce and I asked him if he could tap into the security cameras of the Towers so he can beam down anyone he wanted if something serious happens. If not," he turned to Clark, "then you can I can handle it, unless I have to stay with Bruce, J'onn has to send some people for crowd control and the ass-whooping,"

"Language, Arrow," said Bruce.

"Sorry," said Arrow.

"Who?" asked Clark, "Did you ask for someone specific?"

"No," said Arrow, "But Wonder Woman and Shayera volunteered to be sent. Said something about shopping after. That's what I heard,"

"And Bruce?" Clark looked at Bruce, then at Arrow. "Leaving him out of the plan?"

"It's best," said Bruce, "The kids are here. Richard and Jason can handle themselves. Tim can't, obviously. I have to know that _all_ of them are safe." He leaned on the backrest of the sofa. Before Bruce could say anything else, his phone buzzed, signaling an incoming message. He read it. "Well, we're expected downstairs," he stood up and straightened himself.

Clark stood up with Arrow and watched Bruce open the door to the room his kids were in. There was a 'Dadddyyyy!' and Bruce knelt down on one knee to catch Tim, who jumped into Bruce's arms and wrapped his own tiny ones around Bruce's neck. The boy giggled, and he looked like he really loved Bruce, and that he really liked hugs. Tim buried himself in Bruce's neck. Bruce smiled as he stood up.

"It's incredible how it's like he's not Batman," Arrow whispered to Clark. "Kinda makes you wonder where father Bruce Wayne goes when he puts on the cowl."

Inside, Clark took back what he said about Bruce being the darkest person alive. "Yeah," he smiled, watching Bruce hold his youngest. He could hear their whispers. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but he just found them so precious. It just made Clark fall even more for Bruce. And he was positive that he'd already hit the ground.

"You have to go with Dick when we go to the party, okay?" Bruce told Tim as they walked out of the room. He and Arrow followed.

"Daddy has to meet people?" Tim looked up at Bruce.

"Yes. Daddy has to meet people," answered Bruce.

"Hey," Arrow went up to Dick, "Still up for that one on one tomorrow?" he asked the teen.

"Yeah!" answered Dick, "I almost forgot about that! You're on! Best three out of five!"

 _One on one?_ Thought Clark, _Basketball? He plays basketball with them?_

"You said you'd teach me!" Jason piped in, "How can you teach me if you're having a one on one with him!" he complained, frowning.

"Basketball is easy," Arrow told Jason, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need anyone to teach you." He said as they went in the elevator.

"He knows how to play," said Dick, "He just doesn't know how to block off opponents since he's so short," he laughed, pushing the button to the floor they were headed to. "Try drinking more milk, shorty,"

"I can too block them off!" Jason argued. "And I'm not short!"

"Alright, alright, break it up, you two," said Bruce, shifting Tim's weight in his arms a bit, then set him down. "Later, okay?" he whispered to the boy. Tim nodded with a smile and held Bruce's hand.

"I can play basketball, too?" Tim looked up at Bruce, hoping that his father would let him play with his brothers. "Please? I'll be good at the party,"

"Of course you can, sport," Arrow picked Tim up and put him on his shoulders. "We're going to beat your brothers four out of five,"

"Yay!" Tim held onto Arrow's hair.

Jason glared up at Dick, who also was glaring down at him then stuck a playful tongue out at him. It was like there were little sparks from electricity from the glaring they did. "Jerk," Jason mumbled. Bruce rolled his eyes.

How was he going to compete with Arrow now? He'd already known how to get to Bruce's children. No doubt Arrow had the same tastes as Bruce, considering both of them were billionaires. Clark however…well, he milked cows back in Smallville when he took a quick vacation. But Bruce and Arrow…they were probably on some private tropical island lying under the sun for a vacation when they weren't fighting crime.

Clark took a deep breath, and when the elevator doors opened about a second later, he stepped out and released the air. Shayera made it sound so damn easy. Maybe because she didn't know Bruce and Arrow were together. This was more difficult than Clark thought, and it was getting more difficult the more he discovered how close Arrow had already gotten to the Waynes.

_I have to try harder._


	3. Unmasked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> 1\. So yeah, I've been told that Timmy looks and sounds too young in this, so I'll de-age him from six to four. Yay, baby Timmy!  
> 2\. I was supposed to have Joker take Jason and Timmy hostage while the party is going on, but I remembered I hate Joker for killing Jason (the Red Hood movie) and I didn't want Timmy to get traumatized or something since he's too young.

Arrow put Tim down before getting off the lift, and the boy quickly went to Bruce and held his hand as they made their way to the ballroom. Clark noticed that the place was oddly more yellow than about half an hour ago when he arrived. He shook it off and entered the magnificent doors of the ballroom, where people welcomed Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen with a warm applause.

Clark stepped to the side as Bruce and Arrow greeted and shook the hands of their guests. Bruce was introducing his kids, and Arrow was thanking them for being able to make it to the event. The women were complimenting Bruce's kids. Tim was getting the most attention, getting mostly, 'How cute!' or 'Aren't you a handsome baby!' which made the boy hide behind his father with a red face, looking up at the women shyly, just like what he did with Lois.

He smiled. Batman was not heartless. These three kids proved it.

About two hours later, after dinner and scanning the room of familiar faces to write about, Clark found himself on one of the terraces of the ballroom, looking out onto the city, and up at the sky at the moon. So far, he hadn't heard anyone in trouble in Metropolis, so he guessed that the night was going to be nice to him and let him spend the night with Bruce. He leaned on the railing on his elbow as a light breeze touched his face.

The music was nice. The first kind of music played by the band while Bruce was greeting guests was jazz. Later after a few glasses of drinks there was music to dance to. He could hear that Bruce wasn't dancing with anyone. Arrow wasn't dancing with anyone either. Both were talking to different people, discussing projects in all their cities. Bruce was getting most of the questions about what projects he was planning for Metropolis.

Earlier he'd saw Bruce and Arrow go to their private table, where Jason and Dick were able to help Bruce feed Tim. True enough, Tim had behaved, as promised when he asked if he could play basketball with his brothers tomorrow. He decided to eat at one of the tables on the terrace. The view was nice and the breeze was even nicer. There was a couple who joined him on the terrace and had a quick chat. He ignored them and listened closely for Bruce. They were talking about how Dick wanted to join the gymnast varsity. Bruce told the teen that he'd think about it.

"Aaww, come on," said Dick, "It's not like I'll beat anybody up. You let Jason get in Judo! He beats up his classmates good during PE!"

Jason stuck out a tongue. "Poor you,"

Clark chuckled quietly to himself.

"And your talents might just be recognized," said Bruce, "We don't want that, do we?"

"Fine," Dick frowned. "I'll just give Gotham Academy more academic trophies then,"

"Will you stop sulking if I get you that motorcycle you want so badly?" asked Bruce. "For night use, of course–Tim, put that down, you're going to ruin your clothes," Tim must have taken something from his plate.

"Hey! Why does _he_ get a bike!" Jason interrupted.

"Fine then, I'll let you have another one of those blasted video games," Bruce sounded like he just said to shut the boy up.

Clark had only one word for Bruce's family. Perfect. Jason showed slight middle child problems but Clark knew Bruce gave them all equal attention. Tim got the most of it but it was because he was still so young.

Later, he called the attention of a waiter that was near, and gave him a piece of paper and a tip. Later, the male singer was announcing, "Oh, whoever asked for this has good taste in music." Clark smiled. "A song dedicated to one of our hosts, Mr. Wayne. A song by Frank Sinatra,"

The band started playing. Clark liked that song a lot. Mainstream music wasn't really his thing, and he preferred the old songs over what the youth listened to. He thought modern music was noisy, and didn't like what they were usually about. They were about sex, and drugs. Call him outdated, but he liked the cheesy love songs from the yester-decades. Besides, only singers from those days could get away with cheesy lyrics and still get the girls. Or boys.

_**I've got you under my skin.** _

"Did you…?" Bruce whispered to Arrow.

_**I've got you deep in the heart of me.** _

"No," Arrow whispered back.

_**So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.** _

"Then who?"

_**I've got you under my skin.** _

"Enjoying the party?"

_**I'd tried so not to give in.** _

Clark turned around and saw Dick, who handed him a glass of champagne. "Are you old enough to drink?" he asked, taking the glass.

_**I said to myself, "This affair never will go so well,"**  
 **But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know so well** _

"We're not allowed alcohol," said Dick, joining him by the railing. "It's ginger ale," he took a sip.

_**I've got you under my skin.** _

"And yeah, I guess I'm enjoying the party," answered Clark, once again leaning on the stone railing of the terrace. "I'm not used to events like this. This is the first time I've been assigned to cover a gala as big as what you're throwing. I haven't even seen this many women in gowns before," he chuckled, and drank half of the glass. "Wow," he said, "This is good. Really good," he decided to finish the whole thing.

___**I'd sacrifice anything come what might**  
 ____**For the sake of havin' you near**  
 __**In spite of a warning voice that comes in the night**  
 __**And repeats, repeats in my ear**_____

"It better be," Dick chuckled, "Dad had that shipped from France. A bottle of that costs fifty grand," he took another sip of his own ginger ale.

"Don't you know, little fool, you never can win?"

Clark choked on the drink. "Fifty!" he stared his champagne glass. "Are you serious? Jesus…" he'd heard about expensive things but fifty thousand dollars for a bottle of champagne? It sounded ridiculous.

_**"Use your mentality, wake up to reality,"**  
 **But each time that I do just the thought of you makes me stop before I begin.** _

"Very," Dick nodded with the smile. "It was Alfred's idea. Dad just goes along. Alfred does know best. Ollie helped with the preparations, too. Especially the food and wine,"

_**'Cause I've got you under my skin.** _

Clark leaned back on the railing, and there was a few moments silence. He was debating with himself whether or not to ask Dick about Bruce and Arrow. He wanted to ask, but there was still that fear of confirming his speculation that Bruce and Arrow did share something together. He told himself that he wouldn't jump to conclusions, but then he couldn't help it. He did think that Bruce and Arrow were together. Especially now that Bruce had asked Arrow if he was the one who requested for the song.

"So uh…" Clark started, "Are Bruce and Arrow in a business partnership or something?" he wasn't able to bring up what he really wanted to ask, but he thought the words 'business partnership' were close enough. "I mean, they're both hosting the party,"

__**I would sacrifice anything come what might**  
 **For the sake of havin' you near?**  
 **In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night**

"Yeah," answered Dick with a light nod, "I guess you can put it that way. Of course, I don't think Ollie will put it that way," he took another sip of the ginger ale. "Wait. You're not going to include this in your coverage, are you?"

__**And repeats, how it yells in my ear**  
 **"Don't you know, little fool, you never can win?**  
 **Why not use your mentality, step up, wake up to reality."**

"No, no. Absolutely not," Clark smiled. "Bruce is my friend. I don't think I'd be writing about his personal life." True, Clark wouldn't want to sound like a gossip columnist, but who said he'd ever expose or write anything that would damage Bruce's image and reputation?

_**But each time I do just the thought of you makes me stop just before I begin**  
 **'Cause I've got you under my skin.** _

"You could say that they're sort of working it out," said Dick, looking at Clark. "They've been for about a few months now. They've also been trying to write a contract between Wayne Enterprises and Queen Industries,"

_**Yes, I've got you under my skin.** _

So he was right. Bruce and Arrow were together. And he was stupid for not acting sooner. It was as if he'd been looking at a watch at a store, and then he just watched someone who could afford it going into the store and buy it. It was because Arrow had more courage to speak than he did.

Clark almost broke the champagne glass, so he pretended the glass slipped from his hands. "Sorry, I'm sorry,"

"Nah, that's fine," said Dick nonchalantly, watching the glass fall down onto the sidewalk and break. "Hopefully it doesn't hit anybody down there." He finished his ginger ale. "That song was nice," he said suddenly, "Wonder who requested it. Must have a huge thing for Dad. Then again, who doesn't?"

_He's talking about you._

"Yeah, well," Clark tried not to sound too nervous. He'd give himself away. "Your Dad's quite the charmer," he smiled.

"Yes, he is," Dick moved to leave. Halfway back towards the ballroom, Dick turned around. "Oh, and by the way,"

Clark looked over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Like the singer said, you've got good taste in music," Dick smiled at him, and walked back into the event.


	4. Cupid

"You should stay the night," Bruce told Clark as they made their way up to the penthouse at around past nine that evening. They had left the party, in excuse for the eight to ten hours of sleep Bruce's children needed.

Tim was in Bruce's arms, passed out, sleeping peacefully in his father's warm and gentle arms. Clark liked listening to the boy's heartbeat. It was tiny and steady. And it beat fast when he was excited and happy. It was calm when Bruce was there, holding him closely. Clark wondered if Bruce took Tim in when he was an infant, because he would have loved to see Bruce nursing a hungry baby. He couldn't believe someone as tiny as Tim was heir to Bruce's vast empire. That someday, this little boy was going rule everything his grandparents and his father built.

Jason and Dick looked like they got their fill of the social life, even more than enough. Dick looked furious as he replied to text messages he got on his phone. Jason was fiddling with his own phone, playing a game that looked like different colored birds being flung from a slingshot, attacking blocks of wood, stone and ice. Was that a green pig he saw?*

Arrow and Bruce looked perfectly fine, since they were used to working at night, especially Bruce. But Clark knew they both were tired. Even though both men were used to parties and events such as this, Clark knew they got sick of putting on fake smiles and putting Bruce's children on display. Earlier that night, he saw Jason being cooed at, being told at how cute and handsome he was. Dick was being introduced to many girls his age, and the girls were enjoying his company too much.

"Oh, no," said Clark, "I don't think I can-"

But Bruce had cut him off. "I took a room enough for ten people, Clark. You can stay."

"You can come play ball with me and the kids tomorrow, too." said Arrow with a smile as he put an arm around Dick's shoulders. "What _are_ you doing with that thing?" he asked, watching Bruce's eldest tap over and over again on the large touch screen.

Was that supposed to make him feel better? Was he supposed to feel better because the supposed boyfriend of the man he'd been crushing on for years invited him to play basketball? Clark thought it would be a good start. Dick already knew what was going on inside his head, so he couldn't back out now.

"Screaming at the person who's going to receive this message," answered Dick, hitting the 'send' button.

"Well, I hope that person isn't deaf yet," said Arrow, withdrawing his arm.

"It's Roy," said Dick.

"Oh, boy, here we go," Arrow shook his head. "Again?"

"He started it," argued Dick, "He said he was going to be here. And he wasn't. Now he's telling me he's on his way, so I told him he can forget it and just go back home," he frowned.

"Roy?" Clark repeated. Who was Roy?

"Speedy," said Arrow, "My ex-sidekick, or if he were here we'd argue and he'd tell me, 'ex-partner.' Took him in after the one who raised him died. Just like these guys," he opened the door to the suite, and Bruce went straight to one of the rooms. "Excuse him," said the archer as he made some tea at the bar.

Tim and Jason sat down on the sofa, still texting and playing. Clark moved over to the door's threshold, and watched Bruce gently take Tim's clothes off after taking off his own blazer. "May I?" he asked.

"Yes," Bruce answered, taking a pair of small pajamas from a bag. "You can use the other room," he said, taking off the small blazer off the sleeping child. "We'll stay here,"

 _We_. Did he mean with Arrow? Or with the kids?

"Thanks," said Clark as he went in the room. "I didn't know you had kids," he said, bravely trying to keep up a conversation.

"Well," Bruce tucked the tux away in the same bag he took the pajamas from. "We're all going to be parents sooner or later. It's just that my children enter my life without a woman. I'm sure you've done Lois once or twice. No little red cape yet?"

"Lois?" Clark chuckled. "No; I gave up on her a long time ago. She sees Superman, but doesn't see Clark." He sat on one of the chairs by the window, and watched Bruce.

"It's amazing how a pair of glasses, an oversized suit and a few strands of curled hair can do," Bruce said as he pulled a small bear from the bag, and put it beside Tim, who instantly grabbed a hold of the toy and hugged it. "People really are that stupid. You're just a look alike of Superman, and no one ever notices. They can't stitch Clark Kent and Superman together,"

Clark was smiling. "I'm just thankful this getup works." Bruce put the pillows around Tim to keep him from falling off the bed and tucked him in. "I'll leave you to your kids then. I'll just go make some rounds," Clark stood up and left the room. Arrow went in with two mugs of tea and bid Clark good night. "I made you a mug. It's on the counter," he said.

Clark said thanks with a nod, finished his tea, went into his own room, and decided to have a few minutes to himself before going out and fight crime. He lay on his bed and took a deep breath, and didn't even take off his tie and blazer. He liked the smell of newly laundered sheets. He grabbed one of the fluffiest pillows he'd ever laid hands on, and rested his head on it. As soon as his eyes were closed, a voice from his comm.-link spoke. His eyes snapped back open.

"So, how did it go?" it was Shayera.

Clark moaned in disagreement. He didn't want to talk right now. He just wanted to lay in bed. "How did what go?" he didn't bother getting up and just hugged the pillow.

"Clark, don't play stupid. Diana, J'onn and I know Bruce is in Metropolis."

"And I'm asking what you're asking about," said Clark. "I'm in the Metropolis Twin Towers penthouse suite, trying to get a five minute nap. Bruce's charity event just started. Well at least for the party animals downstairs, but we decided to hit the hay,"

"I know how the party went, Clark. We were on surveillance, remember? As much as I would have liked kicking ass in the middle of a ballroom, I wouldn't want to endanger and traumatize Bruce's kids. Did you know he had kids?"

Clark rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "I know he had a Robin or two, but the youngest I have never seen before. It's like seeing Bruce holding a doll," he chuckled.

"I know! It's probably the cutest thing I've ever seen."

"His name's Tim, Shayera," the little boy wouldn't probably appreciate being called an 'it.'

"Tim's a cute name. And I thought Batman scared kids,"

He sat up and took off his blazer. "His kids certainly aren't afraid of him. I can see how much these orphans love Bruce. Tim wouldn't even let Bruce's hand go, let alone be put down when he's being carried. Maybe it's to make up for the time he spends with us, away from them." He discarded his tie and his other remaining articles of clothing to the bed, and was in his blue tights in moments.

"Orphans?"

"Yes," said Clark, "His eldest is too old. I guess he could be the real dad, but Bruce would have been too young, around the age of twenty, when he fathered him. And…to see Bruce as a father to these children, it makes him look so…so vulnerable that I feel obligated to stand guard to protect them."

"Isn't that normal?" asked Shayera. "For you to want to shield the one you love from every possible threat?"

"Well, yeah," Clark flew out the window. "But I think I'm in really deep trouble, Shayera. And in even deeper trouble if I tell Bruce how I feel,"

"Why?"

"Because." Clark paused, and decided to hover over a skyscraper for the next few minutes. "I had a conversation with Bruce's eldest earlier tonight and he told me that his father is in a relationship with Oliver Queen,"

Clark heard Shayera gasp. "No way. Green Arrow? Screwing around with Batman? You _can't_ be serious,"

"Actually, it's Oliver Queen screwing Bruce Wayne." Clark sighed. "And I really do hope they're not serious," he flew again, looking for some crooks to stop or some robber to put to jail. "But they sure look like it, which is why I think I'm going to be in deeper trouble if I open my mouth." He lowered his altitude. "If I ever can,"

"So what are you planning to do?"

Clark really hated that question, mainly because he had no definite answer for it. "I don't know," he said hopelessly. "I mean, after tonight, I feel like if there were levels of being in love, I'd probably have already reached the highest level possible, and reached the highest score for unrequited love and jealousy," he frowned.

"I thought that was Lois?"

"Lois turned out to be just another pretty face to Kal-El. She sees Superman, but not me. And we, us seven, we come to each other as both identities," he saw a woman being robbed. "Excuse me a minute, Shayera," he said, and landed to the alley. "I hope you have a good reason for this," he said, taking the bag from the crook, gave it to the woman with a charming smile, and dropped the man to the nearest police station in less than a minute. "Okay, you were saying?" he flew off once again.

"So you're saying, that it's because we're so comfortable with each other, you saw past that scary cowl and saw Bruce?" she said, "And now that you've seen his father side, you've hit rock bottom?"

"Bottom with Kryptonite rocks is more like it,"

"Yes, well. Weakness. So what are you doing now?"

"I'm headed over to Gotham, to fill in for their Knight," he said, landing on one of Gotham's dark building rooftops. "This place is way too dark," he said, looking around his surroundings.

"Why do you think he's called the _Batman_ , Clark?"

"I know, I know. I'm just saying," he said, flying off the roof.

"Did he ask you to, though? To fill in?" asked Shayera. "He's sorta the type who wants out you of his turf."

"No, but I want to. Here we are; drug dealers." Clark already saw some thugs dealing drugs by the pier. He picked them all up and flew them to the police station. The officers were caught by surprise. "Dealing drugs by the pier," he said.

"And if you're on the front page of the Gotham Gazette the next day and Bruce freaks?"

Clark had just finished talking to the officer when he said, "No shit, I didn't think of that,"

"I beg your pardon?" said the officer, unable to believe that Superman had just cussed.

"Sorry," said Clark nonchalantly. "Was talking to someone else, take care." he said as he flew off.

"Bet they haven't heard Superman swear before," Shayera laughed.

"Bruce is going to kill me," said Clark, landing on another one of the dark, old buildings he used to see Bruce perched on.

"Get out of there before he finds out,"

"I am, I am! Just give me a minute," he said, taking a deep breath. He was in the city Bruce loved so much. It was the complete opposite of Metropolis. Metropolis was bright, young and impulsive, and was into modern technology. Gotham was dark, old, and looked wiser.

"He has Kryptonite, you know,"

"And they say you're scary."

"I know, right?"

Two feet gracefully landed behind Clark, and he turned around. "The boss isn't going to be pleased when he finds out you're here," it was Dick. Clark recognized him from his voice. "Nightwing,"

"So that's your name. Nightwing," said Clark, watching the boy walk over to him. "How did you get here? I thought you were going to bed?"

"I flew. We Robin and I _are_ based off birds you know," Dick smiled at Clark. "And my name has 'wing' in it,"

"Who're you talking to?" asked Shayera.

"You're not answering the question," said Clark, raising a brow. An underage boy was in a mask and leotards alone in Gotham City.

"I _did_ fly," said Dick, "The Batwing was on autopilot,"

"Oh," Clark sounded a bit relieved. Good. Bruce knew the boy was here. Even if he knew Bruce's kids could take care of themselves he still couldn't help but worry. They _were_ still kids. "I thought you were just being a smartass like your boss,"

"I can try to be a smartass," Dick smiled. "See you back in Metropolis in an hour or two! I'll take it from here,"

Clark watched him run, jump off the building and land on the next building as if it were just some playground. Bruce's boys were just as talented as he was. He almost went after the boy to catch him, and tell him, 'What the hell did you think you were doing?' but then he saw the boy knew exactly what he was doing.

"So who were you talking to?" Shayera piped in again.

Clark sighed. "Nightwing. Batman's eldest." He said as he flew back to Metropolis.

* * *

 

It was about an hour and a half later that Clark heard Nightwing come back. He stepped out of his room, back in his shirt and pants, sans his glasses. He was about to knock on Bruce's door.

"Do you think he knows?" he heard Bruce ask. Clark was staring at the door, his hand raised as if time stopped just as he was about to knock.

"Of course," answered Arrow, and he heard him sit down on one of the beds. "He's probably heard everything we've talked about," it sounded like Arrow had just come out of the bathroom.

"Oh, he knows," it was Dick, and he sounded very happy with himself. He probably did a good job in Gotham. "He's in lo– "

Clark knocked on and opened the door and stopped Dick from saying anything that would probably destroy his emotional balance. Maybe not emotional balance, but his confidence. "Excuse me,"

"Oh, hey," Arrow greeted him. He really was just out of the bath. He was in a bathrobe and was drying his blonde hair with a towel.

There were three beds. Bruce was on the same bed Tim was sleeping in, also in a bathrobe the same as Arrow was in. Jason was in the other bed, asleep, hugging one of the extra pillows, and Clark guessed Dick was going to sleep beside him. Arrow was on sitting on his own bed. Good. Good. Arrow was on his own bed. Bruce wasn't on the same bed as him. Good.

"I was wondering if I could talk to–" said Clark, but he was cut off by Dick, who was in a white shirt and sweatpants, grabbing his arm.

"I have all night, Mr. Kent," said Dick as he pulled Clark out of the room.

"Dick, what in the–" said Bruce, but Dick cut him off just like he did Clark.

"Relax," said Dick, winking at his father with a smile. "It's not like I'll say anything that would ruin your reputation, Daddy." He pulled Clark out of the room. This was one side of Dick he didn't want to dig into. He was probably practicing the playboy thing. "Let's have that talk,"

Clark found himself on the terrace level about two floors below the penthouse. The terrace was closed, but only one word from Dick to the person in charge and it was opened right away. They stepped onto the floor, and a breeze blew. It wasn't cold, but it was cool. Dick leaned on the stone railing, and looked out onto Metropolis. Clark stood beside the boy, hands in his pockets.

"So, what are you planning to do?" asked Dick.

It was the second time that night that Clark was asked that question, and still he didn't know what he was going to answer to it. Maybe he _could_ answer it, but then that would just be what he wanted to do, but he wasn't really going to be able to do. Clark sighed, and again he answered, "I don't know," he moved to lean on the railing as well. "Your father's already way out of my league when he was single. Now he's way, way, way out,"

"You really like him, don't you?" Clark didn't know if Dick's voice sounded pitiful or sorry. People shouldn't pit him, he was Superman–who was Clark kidding? Superman or not, he was going through what every human being went through some time in their lives.

Instead of saying something he might regret, Clark just nodded. "Yeah, more than the woman I thought, and everybody thought, I was crazy about. She was just a pretty face, I guess,"

"Lois Lane couldn't have been that bad,"

"No, she wasn't. She never was. She was a strong woman." Clark took a deep breath "But you know kid, things change. People change."

"Did you change?" Dick asked. "Did she?"

"We both did. I suppose it had something to do with the responsibility on our shoulders. To protect the innocent. I spent more time in the cape, she never saw Clark Kent anymore, she didn't get into trouble as much as she used to, so there's no reason for me to rescue her,"

Dick didn't answer to that as quickly as Clark thought he would. Suddenly the boy frowned a bit, looking down on his hands that were clasped loosely. He was about to say something that would probably sound like he wanted to apologize for saying something that upset him, until Dick spoke.

"Dad's trying to prevent that," he said. "For now, at least. I guess I'm kinda hoping he'd prevent that from happening as long as we're under his wing. He always makes sure that he wasn't away for too long, for the company, for us, for Tim. Jason and I know why he's gone. I fully understand why. Even though Jason knows why Dad's gone all the time, he still needs that attention. He is just a ten year old after all. And Tim, well, you saw how Tim couldn't stand being away from him for just a minute."

"He's a good father. You are very lucky children," said Clark, smiling at the thought of Bruce living three lives: the life of Batman, as one of the leaders of the Justice League and protector of Gotham, the life of a businessman, philanthropist and playboy, and the life of a father. It wasn't easy, but Clark guessed that being a father to three kids who had no trouble showing their love for him probably took the stress away like magic.

Dick lifted his head and let the breeze touch his cheeks. "I guess we are," again there was silence for a few moments. "You know, he's not really 'taken' so to say,"

"Taken?" Clark looked at the boy with a raised brow.

"You know, the 'single or taken' thing?" said Dick.

Clark felt his heart lift up a bit. Did that mean he had a chance? "He's not taken?"

Dick looked at Clark with a knowing smile. "Not exactly," he moved to face Clark and leaned on the railing on one arm.

Clark met the smile, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I did tell you that it's a work in progress, right?" said Dick.

"Yeah, so?"

"Work in progress meaning they're not even past the 'will you date me?' stage. Or at least I don't think they are, since they haven't really gone on a true date before. Usually Ollie just pops in at the mansion from time to time," and thoughtfully, as if trying to recall something he said, "They haven't even done it once. At least I haven't heard them. But I do hear Dad refusing every time."

Clark's eyes widened. Bruce's kid was talking about his sex life. This, he was not prepared for. At all. It wasn't that he wasn't interested, but this was the _Batman's sex life_. Nobody knew about it. He did now, but he didn't think he'd hear from it from his son. He swallowed, unable to say anything. What was he supposed to say.

"Dunno why though." Dick continued, "But I _do_ know that he and Ollie used to date in high school. Bruce said one time or another that it was some sort of a fling,"

"It doesn't look like a fling now," Clark sighed. How many times had he sighed that day?

"It really doesn't, even if they had a little something fifteen or twenty years ago,"

Clark hated these little pauses. It was because he didn't know what kind of things Dick would say next. Hopefully the next things the boy was going to say wouldn't be anything too apocalyptic for his own world. Maybe he needed a few days to sort things out in his head in the Fortress.

"This is crazy, but I think I'll help you,"

"What?" was he hearing right? Was there a bullet stuck in his ear?

"I'll help you with Dad, but you have to help yourself," said Dick, smiling at him. "Jeez, I didn't know Superman was so sheepish," he chuckled.

"I _was_ raised by humans, you know," Clark smiled. Dick was going to help him. Why? He didn't even ask anymore.

"I also want Ollie to experience a little competition," Dick looked like he was planning something sinister, but then Clark thought he wouldn't do that to an uncle figure. "He can't have Bruce Wayne all to himself,"

"Are you serious?" was all Clark could say.

"Of course I am,"

"You want me to confess to Bruce in the middle of working a relationship?"

"I told you, work in progress. He's not really working on anything! At least not a real, serious relationship,"

Clark had absolutely no idea what was going to happen if he did this. "This doesn't count as stealing someone from someone, right?" Maybe he did, but everything that came to mind was scenarios from movies, which consisted of females slapping each other, pulling on each other's hair, or two men fighting to the death or guns about to shoot each other. Arrow didn't have an arrow with Kryptonite, did he?

"Not really. If they were an official couple I'd probably already know."

"You really are serious about this, aren't you?"

Dick smiled and put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Mister Clark Kent, I will be your cupid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Angry Birds. I couldn't think of anything else Jay-bird would be playing. LOL
> 
> Please tell me what you think in the comments below. :)


	5. Prince Charming

"You're serious?" asked Shayera, leaving her tray of food almost forgotten on the table she and Clark were at in the cafeteria. "A child is going to help you confess?" she started to laugh, "Oh God, Clark! That's rich!"

Clark opened his of soda. "It's embarrassing, I know," he said, taking a few gulps. "I still need help from a kid," he frowned a bit.

Shayera put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Clark, everyone needs help, especially with this kind of stuff. Besides, you're not completely alien, you're human at heart,"

"That's what I told Dick," said Clark, tearing the meat off the chicken bone with his fork.

The winged woman stopped eating, her fork with a piece of potato pierced with its prongs in midair. "Dick?" she looked as if she were praying that she heard right.

"Bruce's eldest, the one I was talking to last night with our line open," Clark continued to eat. He was getting tired of commissary food. The food was nice, yes, but he missed his Ma's cooking. He didn't dare say anything about the cooking of the kitchen staff. The whole staff of the Watchtower was under Bruce's employment.

"Why is–"

"His real name's Richard and I don't know," Clark cut her off. He looked at her. "You watch too many movies, and you use the internet way too much,"

"I want to get to know the human race the best I can," said Shayera, getting back to her lunch.

"And how's that going so far?"

"Good, I guess." she paused and took a swig of her soda. "I've seen that there are people like you, who are handsome, smart, but lost when it comes to love. There are people like Bruce who don't need to look very far for love-or lust. There are assholes and jerks, but also the dying race of the chivalrous gentlemen, also the pervs,"

Clark chuckled. "Yeah, you got everything right," the lust part, he didn't really like, but Shayera was right. Kids nowadays gave into lust so easily. And Bruce, well, Bruce was labeled a billionaire-playboy-philanthropist, so he guessed Bruce slept and dated movie stars or super models or ballet prima donnas. *

"Earth is my home now. Might as well get to know it from pole to pole. J'onn found love on earth. I found love on Earth. You found it twice. But I guess the first one I dunno if I should consider that love or infatuation,"

"I guess that falls on the category of admiration," said Clark, setting his plate aside. "Lois is a strong woman. She's beautiful and she's talented," She really was, but he never really knew if he was really in love or not. Then he realized it was platonic, like saving his little sister from a bully, whenever he had to rescue her. Clark let out another sigh. "I can't do this. This is even more terrifying than facing a resurrected Darkseid."

Shayera chuckled. "You'll be fine!"

Clark put his forehead to the cold surface of the table. "This might just be the most nerve-wracking thing I'm ever going to do,"

"And the wedding?"

He sat back up. "That's the second-" Wedding? Did he just hear, wedding? "WHAT?" Shayera did not just suggest that.

"Well, don't you want to get married?" she picked up the small, round, plastic container of chocolate mousse, and ate a spoonful.

"We can't get married!" Clark hissed.

"Why not?" Clark raised a brow, as if stating the obvious. "Oh, right. Pretend then. Give him an engagement ring." She ate another spoonful. "Mmm. I should get another of these."

"I haven't even told him yet and you're already at engagement!" Clark couldn't believe he and Shayera were having this conversation. He ever thought he'd ever have a conversation like this with anyone, not even his mother. Clark groaned. Shayera found him amusing.

"I'll plan both your bachelor parties."

"Shayera!"

"What? I'm just excited."

"About what?"

Clark prayed to all of the kinds of supreme and divine beings there were, to not let it be him. But it was him.

Batman walked up to their table.

"Oh, nothing," Shayera smiled up at Bruce. "Just Clark's engagement to the love of this life."

Bruce raised a brow under the cowl. Clark didn't like it. "You're proposing to Lois? I thought you said you were over,"

"What?" Clark was trying to keep his voice as low as possible. "No! I mean yes, we're over! I'm not proposing to her!"

"I'm just saying," her smile didn't fade, and she resumed eating her mousse.

"You're going to get rumors spread around!" that was the last thing Clark wanted. If the rumor that he was going to propose to Lois reached Earth, he was dead. Really dead.

"I'll just pretend I didn't hear anything," Bruce walked away, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Bye," Shayera said sweetly, watching him walk away.

"You!" Clark whispered.

"What?" she smiled at him.

"This is hopeless. I'll never be able to tell him," he frowned.

"You're a wuss, Clark."

"I know."

"You're a wuss, and you're going to be late," Bruce went back to their table, but didn't sit down. "Arrow said you'd play ball with him and the Birds today at three. I suggest you pack your sneakers and get your ass to Gotham before Baby Bird starts looking for you."

"Baby bird?" Clark repeated. Since when did he and Bruce start using code names? It was about a few moments before he got who the code name was. It was Tim. "Oh. Oh! Baby Bird. Right. Um. Yes. I'll be there,"

He wasn't even sure if he _wanted_ to go, but then he'd already told Bruce that he would. Last night, he didn't answer Arrow's invite because...well, he didn't want to go. And because Arrow was there. _And_ because he really didn't play basketball.

"Just one question, why would Baby Bird be looking for me?"

"The kid likes you, Clark. That's pretty much the only reason." said Bruce, "I'll go on ahead. Nightwing and Robin are with Arrow at the Town Center Mall. They'll meet you at the cinemas at three."

"And Baby Bird?" Clark asked.

"At home. You don't expect him to be able to go to the cinemas, do you?" Bruce moved to leave. He didn't even tell Clark to move his ass and go already.

"I'd love to come with and crash the party," said Shayera as Bruce left the cafeteria, "But then I don't want to risk all of your identities." she took a swig of her soda. "Nobody's _that_ stupid not to suspect anything when they see a winged woman in his pool,"

A blur of yellow and red sped from one side of the lunch room to Shayera's side. "Did you say pool?" asked Flash, also known as Wally West. "Whose pool? Pool party? Where? When? Is it anyone I know? Can I come with? Please? I don't wanna get stuck up here again without getting sent out on a mission-it's boring!"

Shayera and Clark looked at each other, then back at Wally, apparently thinking the same thing-not letting Wally go-but it was Bruce's house and he should decide whether he was welcome in the house or not.

"Aaww, c'mon guys," Wally frowned. "I won't start a whirlpool, I promise, please? Unless somebody asks,"

"Ask him if you can go," said Clark, getting up to return his tray. Shayera followed him.

"Who exactly?" asked Wally.

Clark walked past him. Shayera was right behind him. "Ask Bruce."

"Seriously?" Flash walked behind them. "After I blew up his living room, I don't think he'll even let me near his house," **he frowned, remembering that incident where he accidentally fired the Thanagarian spaceship's gun.

Ah, yes. Clark remembered Bruce telling him what happened when he came over and saw a carpenter fixing it. Bruce had told the worker that it the living room got destroyed in the Thanagarian invasion when a stray shot from one of the ships hit his mansion. Clark thought it was convincing enough since cities all around the world were under the martial law and the Hawkmen didn't really care if they destroyed people's homes or not.

"You can always ask, Wally. You're just going to ask," said Shayera as they walked down the halls of the Watchtower, headed for the dormitory deck. "It won't hurt,"

"That's what they say in movies." Wally's frown didn't go away. "Do you know how much the Bat-glare hurts?" said Wally. "It pierces your soul and tears through your sanity—"

Clark smirked, seeing Bruce come into view. He was talking with Mr. Terrific, who had just left. "Bruce, Wally wants to come over, too." He pushed the button to open his room, and left the other three senior members out in the hall.

Clark heard Shayera laughing. "This is just too good to be true,"

"I can feel it coming." Wally swallowed the lump in his throat. "It's really going to kill me this time."

*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*

"I can't believe he didn't rip me to pieces," said Wally as they headed to the cinemas wing of the mall. "Hell yeah, we're going to have a pool party! Who else is going to be there?"

Clark chuckled. Wally must be glad to get out of the Watchtower and finally have some fun. "Just Ollie and Bruce's kids." It didn't feel right when he called Arrow with his name. "Ollie asked if I wanted to play ball with the kids after last night's party." He didn't say that he wanted to, but he told Bruce he'd be there, so he better be there.

"Don't cheat now," Wally grinned at him. "Wait, Bruce has kids?" the speedster looked at him with the 'You're shitting me,' look. "You're shitting me,"

"You're not the only one who was surprised," he said, his nose picking up the lovely scent of warm, butter popcorn, telling them they were getting closer to the cinemas. "I'm sure you'll love them, Wally, because you love children.

"Yeah, I do, but Bat-kids?" Wally wasn't sure if the kids were even going to be cute. Well, they could be cute but deadly, too. "You sure they don't bite? Like, as hard as the Bat does?"

Clark chuckled. "You'll love them," he repeated, watching children run around with popcorn in their hands. Their parents looked like they were having a difficult time. Bruce made parenting—single parenting—look like a walk in the park. "I'm positive."

He turned his head to the right when he heard Dick and Jason's voice. He saw the boys running towards him and Wally. "You made it!" Dick smiled at him. Arrow was right behind them.

"Yes, well. Your father was very persuasive," Clark chuckled. "Hey, Ollie." He waved at the archer and they headed for the nearest exit. "Wally, this is Richard, and Jason. Boys, this is Wally West." He said, then whispered, "He's the red speedster,"

"Hello!" Dick offered a hand and smiled at him. "Call me Dick. This is my little brother, Jason." Jason decided not to speak and just waved hi, but he had small smile. "You're coming with us?"

"Uh, yeah," said Wally, nodding at the boys with a smile.

Clark could tell Wally wasn't expecting bubbly kids. "So, we are we headed?" he asked, looking at Arrow. "Are we going to stay here in the mall for a little while longer or are we doing to Bruce's place?"

Truthfully, Clark would rather stay in the mall where it was cool and nobody knew who he was, instead of going to Bruce's house. It wasn't that he didn't like Bruce's house (it was more of he didn't like Arrow there), in fact, the place never ceased to amaze him. It was huge, and he was scared to walk around the place, since expensive vases, among others, were on display everywhere. If he broke one of them he'd probably be forever in debt to Bruce, not like he already was, but forever in debt in the sense that he'd still owe Bruce a shitload of money even in his next life, if he even had a next life. He wouldn't be able to pay just _a_ vase at all. With a reporter's salary?

"Yeah, sure." Said Arrow, looking at the boys. "Go buy whatever last minute things you want. Make sure it's nothing Alfred will keep from you."

Dick pulled Jason from the group of adults, and led him to the candy stand. Clark heard him get all of the stand's stock of gummi bears. He raised a brow. "Gummi bears?" he looked at Arrow. "He bought the stand's stock of gummi bears,"

"I think I'll get myself some candy, too." Said Wally, following the children.

"Alfred doesn't keep sweets like that in the kitchen," said Arrow. "Tim keeps asking for them. Even though he spoils them with cakes and desserts, he doesn't like candies." Clark watched Arrow watch the kids. He looked like he was really fond of them.

"But they're allowed a whole load of dessert?" asked Clark.

"Healthy dessert. Alfred tries to make the children's treats as healthy as possible. He serves them fruit desserts, to replace sugar, but of course, from time to time, some toffee and peanut brittle," answered Arrow.

Clark looked at the kids. The cashier handed him a big bag of the different colored bears, and Dick handed the lady a bill. Whoa, even Bruce's kids carry a large sum of money around. Just thinking of what the kids have at their disposal made Clark dizzy. Bruce spoiled these kids _rotten_ , but still they look and sound like they've been raised properly.

"That's a lot of gummi bears," said Wally as they went back to Clark and Arrow. He bought a few (more like dozens of) chocolate bars, the kind with nuts, caramel and nougat. He was already eating one.

"We have you and Ollie, and Clark to share it with. Timmy likes them, too. Bruce doesn't like sweets," said Dick, letting Jason take a handful from the big bag.

"Timmy?" asked Wally as they rejoined Arrow and Clark, and they quickly moved to head to the parking lot just outside of the cinema wing.

"Our baby brother," answered Dick, popping a few bears into his mouth. "He's four,"

"Bruce has another kid?" Wally turned to Clark. "Just how many kids does the Bat have?" he asked they approached a white Lexus SUV. "Whoa, you have an LX 2011."

"Bruce has three kids," answered Arrow as he unlocked the car remotely and got in the driver's seat. "Kids in the back, one of you gentlemen in front," he said as he started the car.

"Wally, you should know by now that Ollie and Bruce own _very_ expensive things," Clark chuckled, getting in the front seat.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Billionaire playboys, I know," Wally bit into his chocolate bar and helped Jason into the backseat even though the boy didn't need any help.

"Hey, Ollie," said Dick as Arrow drove out of their parking spot. "Jason said he changes his mind,"

"I didn't say anything, you prick!" Jason punched Dick's arm.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there, sport," said Wally, moving Jason towards him and away from Dick.

"OW!" Dick rubbed his arm. "That hurt! And I am not a prick!"

"Yeah, you are, because your name means prick!" said Jason, sticking his tongue out at his older brother.

"Jason, language." Arrow looked at him from the rear view mirror. Jason crossed his arms and looked out the window to avoid Arrow's eyes. "What about changing your minds, Dick?" asked Arrow, driving out of the parking lot, onto the main road and headed towards Mountain Drive.***

Inside, Clark was having his jealousy fit again. Aside from being close to Bruce _and_ the kids, he also knew how to discipline them. And he, well…Clark Kent was hopeless with children. Children liked Superman, not Clark Kent. Lois didn't even like Clark Kent.

"Can we go in the pool instead of basketball? I mean, it'd be more fun to have a pool party," said Dick.

Clark thanked the Gods for that, a pool party instead of a ball game. It'd be a cheat, too, since Wally was with them. But he being there was a cheat as well since he could fly, and he could just fake a dunk, and that'd be unfair to the kids. "A pool party, huh?" he looked at Dick from the rear view mirror.

"Can't we do both?" Wally asked, tearing open another chocolate bar. "I'm good at running,"

"Don't be a cheat, Wally," said Clark.

"Since Timmy can't play ball he can just join us in the pool," Dick smiled at him, "Right, Ollie?"

"Sure, I guess so. But I don't think our guests have any swimwear with them right now," Arrow chuckled, turning onto a road which led to a hill.

"Alfred can take care of that," said Dick, "I texted him earlier about it,"

"What's this place called?" asked Wally through a full mouth.

"Mountain Drive," said Arrow, driving through Wayne Manor's huge gates that opened on automatically as he drove.

"I can see why," Wally looked around.

Bruce had this place to all himself, and probably even owned the whole hill, and the property behind it. Maybe, Clark thought, it was one of the reasons why he adopted these kids—so that he wouldn't be alone in that big house. Clark could clearly see in Bruce that these orphans were doing him good. Hugs and kisses all around.

"There's the baby bird," Arrow chuckled when Alfred opened the door and Tim stepped out, all smiles.

"Wow, Bats has a baby bird!" Wally said as he saw Alfred prevent Tim from running towards the car.

Clark and the others got off the car, and greeted Alfred. "Hello, Alfred," said Clark with a smile.

"Uncle Clark!" Tim went up to him. "Dickie says you can fly!"

"Well, yeah," Clark chuckled.

"Now, now, Master Timothy, let's not let our guests wait and let them in," said Alfred.

"Okay!" Tim reached up for Clark's hand and pulled him in the house.

They all followed, and Arrow was right behind them, amused. "Is that really the other Bat-kid?" Clark heard Wally ask Arrow. "I mean, seriously, that is one happy baby!"

"Just because Bruce doesn't smile up in the Tower doesn't mean he's a bad father, Wally," Arrow told him.

Alfred opened the doors to the living room, and Tim pulled Clark to one of the sofas. Arrow and Wally sat on the sofa opposite Clark and Tim were sitting on.

Clark saw Alfred asking Dick for the bag of gummi bears. "Awww, Alfred…." Dick frowned when Alfred took the bag of sweets.

"Oh, no, Master Richard," said Alfred, "There is no way I'm letting you and your brothers consume this amount of these multicolored bears."

"Just a little?" said Jason, "I won't give Timmy any,"

"I want gummi bears, too!" Tim frowned from the sofa, beside Clark.

Alfred sighed when he looked at Tim. "Very well, sirs. But after dinner. Now," he turned to Jason and Dick, "Try to find your swimwear and get ready if you want this pool party of yours pulled off,"

"Yes!" said Dick, grabbing Jason by the wrist and pulling him upstairs.

"Excuse me sirs, would you like some tea and crumpets while waiting for Master Bruce?" he asked.

"Yes, Alfred, thank you," said Arrow.

Tim raised his hand. "Can I get some chocolate cake, Alfred?"

"May I have some chocolate cake, sir," Alfred corrected him.

"Oh, sorry," Tim giggled. "May I have some chocolate cake, Alfred?"

"Yes, you may, sir," Alfred smiled at him, then left the living room.

Clark thought Tim was a bouncing ball of energy, always smiling and ready to do something. "Hi! My names Tim. I'm four. What's your name?" he said to Wally.

Wally stared at the kid. "You sure that's a Bat-baby?" he whispered to Arrow.

"Wally, come on," said Arrow, "Tim isn't going to bite. He's usually shy, but I guess since we're at home he's more bubbly. Right, Timmy?" he turned to the boy.

"Yes!" Tim got off the sofa and got on Arrow's lap.

"Tim, this is Wally," said Arrow, "He can run really fast. You know how runs really fast, right?"

Tim's eyes widened and his smile went from ear to ear as he looked up at Wally. "YOU'RE FLASH!"

"Right you are kiddo," said Wally, smiling at the kid. "You're not so bad after all."

"Can you run?" Tim asked excitedly. "Can I run with you?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Tim," said Clark. He didn't want Bruce to think they were indulging his youngest with demonstration requests of their powers. "Your Dad might not agree,"

"I might not agree with what?" Clark turned to the direction of the voice and saw Bruce come through the living room doors, dressed in another one of those thousand dollar suits.

"Daddy!" Tim hopped off Arrow's lap and ran to Bruce.

Bruce knelt down and caught him, and brought him up when he stood. "How was your day?"

Clark chuckled, seeing Wally's mouth open. "You okay, Wally?"

"You sure this is Bats?" Wally asked Clark. "I mean this is Bruce Wayne-"

"My Daddy is too Batman!" said Tim, frowning at Wally.

"Told ya," Arrow smirked in victory at Wally.

"I didn't get the memo that you were coming," said Bruce, holding the door open for Alfred to come in with their tea. "We'll have tea outside, Alfred, thank you,"

"Very well, sir," Alfred turned back around, and headed for the tables near the pool.

"I just overheard from Shayera that there was a pool," Wally followed Bruce outside with Clark and Arrow behind him.

"I'll take the Young Master, sir," Alfred took Tim from him so he could dress him up.

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce ruffled Tim's hair, and the boy smiled up at him.

"You're gonna swim, too, Daddy?" Tim asked before Alfred could take him away up to his room.

"I will," Bruce nodded, and Tim gladly went with Alfred upstairs.

Clark found himself in one of the recliners by the poolside about half an hour later with half finished tea, in some board shorts. Arrow was sitting at the edge of the pool, his legs in the water; Wally and Jason were playing with a multi-colored beach ball, and Dick was with Tim, who was wearing orange floaties (Clark found it at all levels adorable) , playing where the water was at the eldest's navel.

"Dickie, is Daddy really coming down to play with us?" he heard Tim ask.

"Any moment now, Timmy," answered Dick, brushing Tim's wet, matted bangs away from the little boy's eyes.

"Is he going to stay with us for dinner?"

"I don't know, baby bird," to Clark it sounded a bit sad. Bruce _did_ do his work at night. "Maybe. Uncle Ollie, Clark and Wally are here, so maybe he'll stay," Dick smiled at Tim.

Clark could see how hurt and how used to Dick was at telling Tim that Bruce might or might not join them for dinner. Maybe Dick had to tell him Bruce wouldn't be able to tuck him in, too. It made him sad to think about how many Times dick had to unintentionally break the little boy's hopes of being tucked into bed by his dad.

"Okay," Tim nodded. "Can we go over to Uncle Clark?"

"Sure, Timmy!" smiled Dick, taking Tim out of the pool.

"Uncle Clark!" Tim ran over to him.

"Watch your step there, Tim," Clark smiled and put Tim on his lap. "When you're wet and from the pool like that, don't run okay? You'll slip and get hurt," _And BatDaddy will Kryptonite my ass._

Tim nodded, looking up at Clark. "Daddy said I have to keep your secret like I keep his," he whispered.

"Really?" Clark whispered back, pretending to be more into the conversation than he already was. "What secret is that?"

Tim whispered in his ear, Clark leaned down so Tim could reach. "You're Superman!"

Clark faked a gasp. "I'm Superman?" he said in a faux-shocked whisper. "Did Batman tell you that? I'll have to talk to him about that-"

"No!" said Tim, "I'll keep your secret. I promise!"

Clark smiled and initiated a pinky promise. "Promise?"

Tim wrapped his tiny pinky around Clark's. "Promise!" he giggled. "Hey, Uncle Clark?" Tim let go of Clark's pink. "Do you like my daddy?" he asked.

"Of course I do, Tim," said Clark. He didn't even think about his answer. "Your daddy's my best friend."

"No, I mean like-like," said Tim, still looking up at him. Clark looked back at the boy's little face. It was as if the boy was coaxing him, pushing him to blurt out what he'd been keeping in his chest. "Like the way Prince Charming likes Cinderella,"

Clark blushed. He could feel the blood heat up his cheeks. Did Tim just…compare him to a Prince Charming? Did that mean Bruce was Cinderella? How was he going to answer that? He couldn't lie to a child, but what was he going to answer?

"Because when Dickie tells me bedtime stories, Prince Charming brings Cinderella flowers and chocolates, and brings her to fancy places and eat with her under the stars," Tim was still looking at him with those 'tell Daddy you love him' eyes. Hopeful eyes.

Clark looked at Dick who was in the pool with his young brother and the other two League members, using the big beach ball as volleyball. The acrobat grinned at him, but quickly went back to the game. "Well, Tim," said Clark, "It's really not that easy,"

"Because Uncle Ollie is a Prince Charming," said Tim.

What?

"He brings Daddy pretty flowers sometimes and brings us to fancy places,"

Clark didn't want to hear this.

"Will you bring Daddy flowers, too?" asked Tim, "And bring him to nice dinners with candles – Daddy!" Tim hopped off Clark's lap and ran over to Bruce, who was already in board shorts much what he, Arrow and Wally were wearing.

"Sorry I took so long," said Bruce, catching Tim in his arms them brought him up when he stood.

"Pool, Daddy, pool!" Tim pointed to the pool, and Bruce obliged and took Tim to the pool to play like he said he would.

Arrow was Bruce's Prince Charming, huh? What the hell was he going to do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * the part in The Dark Knight where Bruce took the entire Russian ballet to a yacht trip. LOL.
> 
> ** Justice League episode Starcrossed, when Wally pushed a button on the Thanagarian ship and blasted Bruce's living room.
> 
> *** I believe Wayne Manor's address is, according to Google, 1007 Mountain Drive, Gotham City.
> 
> OMG I'm so sorry this looks like…looks so filler. ;_; but I hope you liked it!


	6. Smallville Part 1

Clark thought it was a terrible idea. Ma and Pa thought it was wonderful. And Bruce…well he didn't know what Bruce was thinking, but he looked like he was completely fine about it; they had just had dinner, and he was smiling and laughing, and talking to his parents, and Tim, Dick and Jason were all being good boys in the living room.

Yesterday night, over apple pie, vanilla ice cream and tea, Ma asked him how Bruce was doing. He said he was fine, and that he having a busy professional relationship with the head of Queen Industries (he made sure he didn't mention the private relationship), and that he had kids to take care of. With that, Ma stood up and called Bruce, telling him to bring his kids with him. She had already called earlier and invited him over, but since she had gotten some more info on Bruce out of Clark, she called again. He asked how Ma got Bruce's number, and she said she fiddled with Clark's phone until she got it. It was Ma, so she probably had good reasons for doing it. And her number one reason was 'He needs a break. Poor thing.' And her number two reason was 'Come on, Clark! It'll be fun! Besides, didn't you once mention that you liked him?' _How_ could she have possibly remembered that? He said that _years ago_.

This afternoon, Bruce arrived at the Kent Farm in Arrow's white Lexus SUV. He stepped out of the car carrying a sleeping Tim, clutching a Superman plushie, though Clark wasn't sure if it really was a Superman plushie since it had a black shirt and pants on, but it had his shield on it, a red one. So if it was his shield, then it must be him. (1)

Clark also was sure that Ma would find Tim irresistible, which she did, especially when Tim was trying to find another comfortable spot on Bruce's shoulder, murmuring a soft 'Daddy' as he went back to sleep. He heard Bruce say that Tim was all over the place, excited that they were going to Uncle Clark's farm (which made Clark smile), which was the reason why Tim was out like a light even before the plane could land.

Ma wanted Arrow to stay for dinner, but Arrow said that the plane was waiting at the airport, and he still had to catch up on work. That was the other thing that bothered him. Arrow drove Bruce to the airport from the manor, and to the farm from the airport. Clark had absolutely no idea why Arrow would do that. He was busy with his company, too, and he said that he had to go since he still had to go back to work. So why waste his time accompanying Bruce in the flight over and driving him all the way out? Maybe it was what they say that the people who care most about you never look at their schedule when you need them.

So he did what any hospitable host would do, he took Bruce's luggage in. Ma told Bruce not to stay out too long because they were going to have some tea, but Bruce said he had to talk to Arrow first. That was another thing he didn't like when Bruce arrived (because he had to face it, he had to pull it together), it was that Arrow was willing to get Alfred flown over in case Bruce needed any help, or he was willing to fly back into Kansas if ever Bruce had forgotten to pack something, like Tim's blanket. But Bruce, stubborn as usual (it was no surprise to Clark and he was thankful for that), didn't want Arrow to come back, or Alfred to come over. So Arrow left without a word, however, he left Bruce some caring gestures before he got in the car and drove away.

And so Tim was put down on the sofa and Ma put a blanket over him. Bruce tucked the Superman plushie in Tim's arms, and went to have tea with him and his parents. Tim woke up just before dinner, and quickly warmed up to Ma and Pa because they were 'Uncle Clark's mom and dad.' And because he had mentioned that 'Daddy's mom and dad are in heaven,' Ma immediately agreed to allow Tim to call her 'Grandma,' to which Tim happily informed his Daddy that he had a mom now.

"Daddy, you have a mommy now!" Tim had said, excitedly climbing onto Bruce's leg to sit on it at the table.

Dick was snickering at his side of the table. Jason had asked why, and with a whisper from his older brother, his question was answered and they did a high five. Both boys grinned at him. Clark knew exactly why, but this wasn't what he thought was part of the deal when Dick told him he'd be his cupid. And Clark knew that Ma knew it, too. So now, two mischievous boys and his mother were trying to set him up with a man who was currently in a whatchamacallit relationship with another bachelor mogul by the name of Oliver Queen.

"Well," said Ma, getting up to gather the saucers from the dessert, "Why don't you boys go get some fresh air? Maybe a drive into the town and maybe you'll see something interesting,"

"I'll get it, Ma," said Clark, taking the plates from her, and setting them down in the sink.

Bruce stood up and gathered the things he and the children had used, and ended up with Clark by the sink. "I didn't know you were the type to do chores,"

"I help around," Clark chuckled, taking the mug and plate from Bruce. Surprisingly, he felt at ease. He thought that he'd be awkward around Bruce.

When they turned to look if there was anything left at the table, Ma and Pa were gone. "Did I say something?" Bruce looked up at him.

"Not really?" Clark looked back at Bruce, meeting his eyes for a few seconds. He quickly broke the eye contact and went back to washing the dishes. "Let me finish up on this and we'll go on that walk,"

Bruce didn't let Clark do all the work. He let Clark do the dishes, and he was the one who washed the mugs and the glasses. "So," said Bruce, "What part of town are you planning to show us?" he ran the sponge over the glass, letting the soap bubble and break down the sweet substances that were stuck at the bottom.

"Well," Clark decided not to use speed to clean the dishes so he could spend time with Bruce. "There's a carnival in town. Maybe the kids want to ride the carousel or maybe go in the horror house?" he put the soapy sponge back down in its dish and started rinsing the plates.

"Is there a Ferris wheel?" asked Bruce, finishing up on soaping the mugs and started rinsing the mugs. "Tim's been asking to ride one and I don't really have time between WayneTech, Watchtower duty and Gotham," he put the mugs on the rack nearby to dry. He'd never really done this before so he was a little conscious that maybe he was doing something wrong.

"Yeah," said Clark. He couldn't hide his excitement. He was going to take Bruce's family to a carnival. It's like a family outing. "Yeah, there's one. We could go there first if you want," he finished up with the dishes and dried his hands.

"That would be a great idea," Bruce put the last mug on the rack.

They heard Tim laughing from the living room. Clark smiled when Bruce smiled at the sound of Tim's adorable laugh, and looked over to the direction of the living room. Tom and Jerry was on TV. There were a few things that brought genuine smiles to Bruce's lips; his kids were the top of the list. Smirks were a different and touchy subject.

When Bruce rinsed the dishwashing soap off his hands Clark offered him a towel.

"I need to tire Tim out so his body clock won't get ruined. Just let me dress him up and we'll go," he took the towel from Clark. "Thanks. We won't be long," he hung the towel on one of the hooks on the cupboards to try.

Before Bruce could leave the kitchen, Clark spoke. "Hey, Bruce?"

"Yes?" Bruce turned around.

Clark could feel Bruce's eyes on him. Maybe it wasn't time yet. He should probably pick a better place, like at the manor and not in his mother's kitchen. So he said something else. "Thanks for coming over," he put his hand on his nape, and he had no idea why his hand went there. "I mean, it's nice to see you all relaxed, and I hope that you enjoy your stay here." He paused. "And maybe you'll come back some other time,"

Bruce gave him a small smile. "I couldn't say no to your mother, and Tim almost threw a tantrum," Bruce thought for a moment. "I guess I should say that we do need this break. And yes, Clark, even though I've only been here for a few hours, I'm enjoying myself and I'm sure that the boys are, too." Bruce thought he needed the break, but the boys deserved it. They deserved this little vacation, and they needed and deserved his time as a father, not just a mentor.

"Tim threw a tantrum?" Clark's hand had made its back way back to his side. He wondered what Tim would look like all huffed up, red and crying like that, not that he wanted him to cry—he was just wondering.

"Well, almost. I told him I'd think about when we'd go, but he beat me to a 'But it's Uncle Clark's farm!' and tiniest frown you'd never be able to say no to. So before he could cry and give me the silent treatment, I said 'Okay, we'll go tomorrow.'" Bruce chuckled. "And because he wanted to see real chickens and give them the seeds you use to feed them,"

Clark had never had anyone want to see him because of him, and it made him feel special, even if Tim was a child. "Would you mind if I helped you get ready?" he asked.

"Not at all," answered Bruce, making his way to the living room.

Clark joined Bruce by the entrance of the living room, watching his parents and the boys laugh at Jerry outsmart Tom again. Tim was on the floor, looking up at the TV, holding his Superman plush tightly, laughing every time something happened to Tom.

Tim glanced to their direction and he stood up, not letting go of the toy. "Daddy!" he went over to him, and pulled him to the middle of the living room to sit with him on the floor to watch TV.

Bruce joined Tim on the floor, and Tim made himself comfortable in Bruce's lap as he hugged the toy tightly. "Guess what?"

"What?" Tim looked up at him.

"Uncle Clark's going to take us to the carnival in town," said Bruce, brushing Tim's bangs from his eyes.

Blue eyes widened and Tim's smile went from ear to ear. "Really?!"

Ma and Pa chuckled.

Tim looked at Clark. "Yep," said Clark, smiling at the boy. "C'mon, I'll help you dress up and we can go ride the Ferris Wheel,"

The four year old hopped off of Bruce's lap and ran over to Clark and held his. "Let's go, Daddy! Hurry!" said Tim as Clark guided him up the stairs. "Up!" he said, reaching for Clark with both hands up in the air, with one of the tiny fists firmly clutching the Superman plush.

"Okay," Clark lifted him up, and Tim leaned into Clark's ear to whisper something. "What is it?"

"We can win Daddy teddy bears!" Tim whispered excitedly. "And please, Uncle Clark, can we ride the Ferris wheel, please?"

"Of course," smiled Clark, "That's why we're going to the carnival, isn't it?" he chuckled, taking the boy to his room. Clark gave Bruce and Tim his room since it was the biggest. Dick and Jason were going to stay in the spare room and he was going to stay in Kara's room.

Before dinner he, Dick and Jason took up their luggage to their rooms. Tim wanted to help, but he had nothing light enough to carry, so Bruce gave him his wallet, sunglasses and handkerchief to bring up to their room.

"I like your room, Uncle Clark!" said Tim, when Clark put him down. "The sky is pretty!" he looked out the window.

"We'll see a lot of the sky later when we go on the Ferris wheel," Clark sat Tim on the edge of his bed, and took Tim's jacket that Bruce hung in the closet. "Would you mind letting go of Superman for a while?" he asked.

"Okay," Tim put the plush on the bed and let Clark put his coat on.

Bruce entered the room after a knock, and smiled at Tim. "Ready?" asked Bruce, taking something from the closet. It was one of the smaller bags he brought.

"Uh-huh!" answered Tim, hopping off the bed but not before taking the plush.

"Just a sec, okay? You can go help Uncle Clark dress up, too, and I'll follow," Bruce put the bag on the bed, and went back to the closet to get more things from their luggage.

Clark got a glimpse of what was inside it. There were some tiny shirts, and towels—probably Tim's—a pack of wet tissues, some Kleenex, a mini first aid kit, and a small bottle of water.

He felt Tim's tiny hand hold his and pull him out of the room. "C'mon Uncle Clark! Let's go!"

Bruce chuckled as Tim dragged Clark out of the room.

Clark quickly grabbed his valuables from Kara's room and headed back downstairs to take his jacket out of the coat closet, and saw Dick and Jason rushing down the stairs. "Ready?" he asked.

"Yep!" chorused the two boys.

They were joined by Bruce a few moments later, who, thank Rao, wasn't wearing anything that would catch any attention. He was only wearing a nice father-going-out-with-his-kids-looking jacket, nothing that was too flashy.

"Okay, let's go," said Bruce, smiling at Tim as he fixed the moss colored messenger bag (Clark thought it looked like a baby bag but it didn't look like a baby bag—still, it looked big enough to hold all kiddie needs).

Tim let go of Clark's hand and ran over to Bruce to hold his. "Let's go on the Ferris wheel, Daddy!"

"Have fun," said Pa as he entered the living room. He threw the keys over to Clark and smiled at Tim's excitement. "Eyes on the little ones all the time,"

"We will, Pa," said Clark, leading Bruce's family towards the truck parked outside.

* * *

(N/A: I have no idea how carnivals in the US work, because I am nowhere near you guys [I'm assuming most readers are from the West] are, so screw this, just lemme write a cute little cliché carnival scene :D)

* * *

Clark thought it was safe to assume that Tim had never been in a truck before because he couldn't help but chuckle at the child who couldn't keep his energy level down. The drive was short and the breeze was cool. Bruce kept glancing behind them to check if Dick and Jason hadn't jumped off the back of the truck.

Bruce also kept putting Tim's hands back in the truck since he was pointing to random stuff as Clark drove. Like the small church (since Tim was used to the big old, stone one back in Gotham). He called it the M&M church because it was so small compared to the church they had back home. Churches back home were like a huge bar of Hersey's or the biggest block of Toblerone, he said. He also asked if they were going to see the glowing bugs like the ones behind the manor.

"They're called fireflies, Tim," Bruce told him.

Tim immediately turned to Clark. "Yeah! Can we go see some here in Smallville Uncle Clark? Can we go catch some?" he looked up at Bruce. "Can we keep them like Peter Pan keeps Tinkerbell, Daddy?"

Bruce looked at Clark, as if telling him he wasn't sure of what he was going to answer. "Well, Tim, if we keep the fireflies, they will die."

"How come Tinkerbell doesn't die?"

"You see," said Clark, keeping his eyes on the road, but gave Tim a few glances as he spoke. "Tinkerbell is like The Atom. You know who The Atom is?"

"He shrinks!" Tim answered with a smile, as if he were in class and he was the only one who knew the answer. "And he grows big, too! And Daddy says he works in a larobatory like Dexter!"

Clark and Bruce laughed. "It's laboratory, Tim," said Bruce.

"Huh?" the boy gave his father a confused look.

"Just say 'lab' next time, okay? For short," Bruce combed Tim's hair back to keep his bangs from going in his eyes, and to fix it from the wind ruining it all the time.

"Yeah, he works in a lab like Dexter," Clark was still smiling. Imagine that, a kid as adorable as Tim, living with Batman. "You see, Tinkerbell is just as big as The Atom when he shrinks to the size of my pinky. You can give him food, you can talk to him and play with him, but you can't give fireflies food, talk to them or play with them like you do if you had Tinkerbell. They'd miss their firefly friends very much. And if you keep them away from their friends long enough, their light will go away, and they die,"

"Oh…" Tim thought for a moment. "So we'll just watch them?"

Bruce nodded. "We'll just watch them,"

Tim looked thoughtful for a moment, then heard some music and saw bright lights ahead. "We're heeeerrreee!" he announced as Clark parked the truck near the carnival entrance.

Dick and Jason hopped out of the back, and dusted themselves off. Bruce stepped out of the truck first, and helped Tim out of the front seat. The boy was hyper, unable to keep still from sheer excitement.

"Let's go on the merry-go-round, Timmy!" Dick scooped Tim off the ground and jogged to the carousel with Jason behind them.

There was a "Wait up!" from Jason as they rushed in.

Tim giggled. "Daddy let's go on the merry-go-round!" his voice faded as Dick went farther.

Bruce picked up the Superman plush Tim dropped and dusted the dirt off the doll.

"That's pretty cute," said Clark, watching Bruce put the toy in the bag.

"He asked Alfred to make it," said Bruce, and they walked into the carnival, looking around for some more things to do after the boys were done with the carousel. "He said something like; S is for Superman, and the civilian clothes are because of you. I think this is more of Clark than Superman."

Clark blushed. Tim liked him enough to ask Alfred to make him into a doll for him. "I guess I better go thank him then?"

It was more flattering to see Tim with a Superman plush than seeing all those kids buy action figures of him, maybe because those kids liked him only as a figure and a role model (not that he didn't appreciate it), but Tim liked him. Like, really, really liked him-him. Him as in Clark Kent and not Kal-El who was all smiles and waves whenever in public and in his red and blue tights; Clark Kent as in the journalist, the farmer, who was clumsy and shy and absolutely hopeless when it came to love.

"Don't tell him anything," said Bruce as they approached the carousel. "I promised him I wouldn't tell you the reason behind the doll,"

"Um, sir?" one of the managers of the carnival went up to them and offered him some ride-all-you-can bands for the children and for them. "Your kids just kinda ran in," he said nervously. "Oh, hey, Mr. Kent!"

"Hi," Clark smiled at him, and reached for his wallet to pay for the bands, but Bruce stopped him and gave a bank note to the man and told him to keep the change.

"Here," Bruce put one of the bands on Clark's right wrist. "I'll just get on the carousel to put these on them. Could you take the bag for a while?"

"Sure," Clark took the bag when Bruce handed it to him.

Bruce was able to catch up to the ride and give the boys their bands before it started. Jason was on some huge black horse with a red saddle, and Dick was in one of the carriages near Jason's horse to be able to watch over him. He helped Tim onto one of the white horses, and the man who ran the ride secured Tim onto the horse's pole with a belt. Bruce stood next to Tim's horse to make sure the child was holding onto the pole tightly.

"Uncle Clark!" Tim waved when he saw Clark in the crowd.

Clark waved back and watched the carousel slowly move. Maybe this was one thing he was never going to talk about in the Tower. It would be outright suicide if he even mentioned that he took Bruce and his kids to a carnival. Shayera wouldn't talk on them, would she?

His phone rang. Clark ignored it, thinking it was about work, maybe Lois or Perry, but it buzzed persistently until he relented. An unknown number was flashed on his phone's LCD screen. "Hello?"

"So,"

Clark sighed. It was Shayera. Think of the devil.

"What the hell took you so long to answer?" Shayera frowned from the other line. She was in her quarters with a big bag of chips, holding her League provided phone between her ear and her shoulder as she opened the bag of food.

"Uh…" Clark ran a hand through his hair. "I thought you were Perry, or Lois. I didn't want to be disturbed by work,"

"No way is this about work," Shayera popped a potato chip into her mouth, set the bag down on her bed and opened a can of soda. Clark heard it hiss. "Aren't you supposed to tell me something?"

"No?" Clark kept his eyes on Bruce and his kids on the carousel.

"Cuz, you know," there was the sound of a bag of chips being rummaged in. "Come on, Clark. I am so not going to wait for you to tell me what's been happening with you. Has there been any development yet? Like progress? Have you even given him a hint that you like him? I'm pretty sure that he probably knows and is just waiting for you to say something. He knows because he's Batman." She plopped down on the bed, holding the phone to her ear with her other hand reaching into the bag of chips.

"No," Clark said again with a sigh. "Look, don't pressure me, okay? I'm nervous enough as it is! If it weren't for Tim, who's absolutely the cutest baby in the world, and the only one absolutely oblivious to it, I'd be jittery or awkward as hell. Dick, Jason and my mother are ganging up on me Shayera. They're ganging up on me,"

"GREAT!" Shayera sat up in excitement. She'd probably join in the ganging up on Clark if she could. "Wait, who's Jason?"

"Bruce's second, the feisty kid?"

"Hmmm." Shayera nodded and ate another piece of chip. "You know what song really fits you right now?"

"Oh God, don't rub it in please,"

" _But if I let you go, I will never know what my life would be holding you close to me! Will I ever you smiling back at me? How will I know if I let you go_ —"

"Okay! Okay! Stop!"

"Or, or, or _What makes you different, makes you beautiful. What's there inside you, shines into me! In your eyes I see all the love I'll ever need_ —"

"Jesus, Shayera, where do you get these songs?!"

"iTunes."

"What?!"

"I think it's Kara who downloads all the songs into the Tower's system and it's what plays when we have parties and stuff—oh! Oh! I got another one!"

"Please let it not be Backstreet Boys," Clark sounded defeated.

" _I can't fight this feeling any longer. And yet I'm still afraid to let it show. What started out as friendship has grown stronger. I only wish I had the strength to let it show_ —I'm going to keep singing and sending you song lyrics until you open your mouth, Clark,"

"I will, okay!" Clark frowned. "It's just that I haven't found the right moment to. And I'm obviously at the wrong place right now. I was going to tell earlier today, but I was in my mother's kitchen. You know, I almost told him in my mother's kitchen—do you know how embarra—"

"In your mother's kitchen?" said Shayera. Clark could see her raising a brow at him. "You're in Smallville?" Shayera bolted upright in a sitting position on her bed. "BRUCE IS IN _SMALLVILLE_? AT YOUR _HOUSE_?"

"Yes, he's here to stay for a few days. My mom invited him, and she fished some info out me about him and his kids kinda slipped out and she said that it's all the more reason to invite them," Clark adjusted the bag on his shoulder and put his hand in the front pocket of his jacket.

"Are you with him now? Are you at home?"

"Am I being interrogated?" Clark raised a brow.

"Come ooooon!" Shayera whined. "You two have the biggest UST ever! I mean seriously, Clark. So come on and spill!"

"Shayera what the hell is a UST?"

"Unresolved sexual tension."

Clark sighed. He wasn't even going to ask anymore. "We're at the carnival. He's on the carousel with the boys and he left me the baby bag,"

"Alright! Now go in the love tunnel!" Shayera sounded like she was watching some romantic comedy or something like those movies that really make you cry buckets.

"Tunnel of Love,"

"Whatever! Isn't it all dark in there? You could just tell him there, you know. The boys could go on another boat and you two can be left alone! I'm sure Tim can be left with his brothers for a few minutes,"

"Oh God, that sounds so cliché," Clark did a facepalm in disagreement. This was not going to work, ever.

"So what?" said Shayra. Clark could tell that if she were with them right now she'd be pushing them into the tunnel ride. "It's not like you're not sincere. Cliché or not, you're still going to do it."

"Can you please just not pressure me?"

"No, I'll keep on doing it until you say it. By the way, you said something about a baby bag?"

A reason to hang up would be good, because Clark didn't want to feel awkward all night, or be out of it since he'd be thinking of how to tell Bruce. "Uh, yeah. It's Tim's things. Some shirts, wet tissues and water,"

"Hey, that's cute. Imagine Batman holding the baby bag."

Thank the divine beings, the carousel ride was over. "No, I don't want to imagine Batman with a baby bag—and I have to go now. Carousel ride's over, he's walking over to me right now. Bye!"

"WAIT—"

Clark hung up. "Hey," he pocketed the phone and smiled at Bruce and Tim. Dick and Jason already ran in another direction to the other rides. "Have fun?"

"Yeah!" Tim nodded, pulling Bruce towards Clark. "Let's go on bump cars next, Daddy! Please!" he said, pointing to the said ride.

There wasn't a long line, since most of the people were at the horror house. There was a lot of faint screaming from inside the house, and Jason would probably drag Dick over there.

"Alright, but don't rush, Tim," said Bruce, about to take the bag from Clark.

"It's alright. Leave the bag to me," Clark held a hand up to keep Bruce from taking the bag. "Let's go get on those bump cars," he smiled at Tim.

Tim smiled back, and reached up to hold Clark's hand as well so they could walk to the ride together.

Clark felt a tingling feeling, seeing the child holding both his and Bruce's hand as they walked. It was like one of those old movies he saw, where a couple both holding their kid as they walked by the beach.

Dick took picture from behind. Clark heard that.

Maybe telling him tonight was a good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Yay! A Kon plush!


	7. Smallville Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'd so mistakes are mine.

The bump cars were a nightmare. At least to Clark it was a nightmare. Bruce and Tim looked like they had a blast trying to bump into Clark’s car over and over again. But losing to Tim and Bruce at bump cars wasn’t all that bad, especially when you get kisses from cute little boy who holds your hand walking around the fair soon after.

“Uncle Clark?” Tim looked up at him.

“Yes, Tim?” Clark chuckled when Tim reached for him. “Alright,” Clark put the boy over his shoulders. “Hold tight, Tim,”

Tim’s lips broke into smile. “Daddy! I can see everything from here!”  

“Not yet everything, Tim,” said Bruce, smiling up at the child, who looked at him. “If you want to see everything, we could go to the Ferris Wheel like you wanted,” he pointed to the ride. “Then we can see the whole of Smallville,”

The boy’s smile went from ear to ear. “Yeah, yeah!” he said excitedly. “To the Ferris Wheel!”

“Don’t pull your steed’s hair too hard, Tim,” Bruce chuckled.

Quietly, (meaning Tim pointing to everything shiny and bright and saying something cute and adorable about it) Bruce and Clark made their way to the Ferris wheel. They passed by the haunted house, where the line of people from earlier had disappeared. It must probably be that scary because even Bruce heard a high pitched scream. And then there was Jason trying to drag his big brother into the make shift building.

“NO!” cried Dick, trying to get his little brother’s hands off his shirt. “DAD! HELP!” he said when he saw Bruce and Clark a few metres away. “IT’S EVIL IN THERE! CAN’T YOU HEAR ALL THE SOULS SCREAMING IN AGONY?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME, JAY?!”

“Because it’s fun!” Jason pulled harder, “Get in or I’ll cut you with a Birderang,” he whispered in a mock threat.

“DON’T YOU DARE—”

“And those aren’t souls screaming in agony,” said Jason as he successfully got Dick inside the haunted house. “Those are girls with huge boobs!”

Bruce and Clark chuckled. “I’m sure Dick can take are of both of them,” he looked at Clark. “Let’s go,”

Clark followed Bruce to the Ferris wheel, and thankfully there wasn’t much of a line, and there were about five people in the line waiting. Clark moved Tim from his shoulders to his arms, and Tim put his tiny arms around Clark’s neck.

“Uncle Clark!” Tim cried before they could reach the line, pointing to a stall where they could win a teddy bear. Then Tim turned back to Clark and smiled at him.

Clark winked at him. “Do you want to play?”

“Yes!” said Tim, playing along as they worked towards it. “I want that!”

“Tim, you already have more toys than you can count,” said Bruce, following them to the stall.

“But I want that, Daddy,” Tim frowned as he pointed to the bear that had was wearing a shirt with a Superman and Batman’s logos combined.

Clark blushed. It was the Bat-logo and his own was inside it. _Oh God_ , Clark thought. A child just…just made a dirty joke at him without even knowing it. A **child**. Talk about implications. Okay, so he wanted to make Bruce feel good, and take him, and be the one to make him writhe and moan under him— _OKAY STOP_.   

“Sure,” Clark cleared his throat, swallowed and paid the clerk. All he had to do was throw a dart at balloons of water pinned on a wall a few feet away. He had to be able to pop five and he’d win the bear. “Alright,” Clark put Tim back onto his shoulders. “Hold tight, son,” he told Tim, who grabbed two fistfuls of his hair.

Bruce just stepped back and watched him. As expected, Clark was able to pop five balloons, and Tim was squealing in delight when the clerk handed Clark the teddy bear.

“YAAAAYYYY!” Tim was still holding onto Clark’s hair. “Thank you Uncle Clark!”

Clark looked at the bear he held, finding it cuter than he should, and looked at Bruce who was smiling at him. “What?” Clark smiled at back at him.

“Nothing,” Bruce shook his head.

“Uncle Clark!” Tim whined.

“Okay, okay,” Clark chuckled. “This isn’t for Tim,” he handed the bear to Bruce. “It’s actually for you.”

“For me?” Bruce took the bear. He looked at it, then back at Clark. “What for?”

“Well, for starters,” said Clark, pointing to the bear’s shirt. “It reminded me of us,”

Bruce stared at him. Clark stared back. After a few moments, Bruce laughed. It sounded fond and happy. It didn’t mock Clark or anything, but it made him blush and he remembered what he said.

He said _what_?

“No, wait. That sounded wrong—I didn’t mean for it come out that way—or sound that way. I just. Oh god,” it was a good thing that Tim’s hands were on his forehead. He just had to guide them to his eyes (with his hands so he could hide the rest of his face) to save himself a just a little bit of embarrassment.

Tim just giggled. “Uncle Clark like-like Daddy!”

“OH MY GOD.” Clark said again. “Let’s just go to the Ferris wheel, kay, Tim?”

“FERRIS WHEEL!”

So much for telling Bruce himself.

* * *

Tim was positive that Uncle Clark lived in the best place in the world. It was pretty everywhere, and the stars were all present in the sky and the breeze was cool. The best thing about being in Smallville with Uncle Clark was that Daddy was smiling.

Daddy didn’t smile much. He smiled when he played with him or if he showed him something new his tutor taught or a word he learned. Tim knew that Daddy’s smile was special because Daddy didn’t give it to everybody. He’d smiled at a lady once, but it wasn’t as amazing as the smile Daddy gave to him.

“Tim, hold onto Uncle Clark tightly, okay?” said Daddy as they went into the carriage. It was going to take them up high and they’d be able to see everything.

“Okay, Daddy,” answered Tim. Uncle Clark handed Daddy his things and Uncle Clark went in the carriage with him and they sat down.

Uncle Clark set Tim down on Daddy’s lap, and the Ferris control man closed the carriage door and they started to move. Tim squealed and squirmed a little in Daddy’s lap. “We’re gonna see everything, Daddy!” said Tim, looking out of the carriage. He held onto Daddy’s coat with his tiny hands as tight as possible.

Daddy held onto Tim protectively so that he wouldn’t fall from his lap. He chuckled. “Maybe we’ll get to see Uncle Clark’s house,” Daddy put his hand on Tim’s back, pulling him closer to his chest.

“Yeah!” A few moments later, they had stopped at the top. Daddy let Tim look down to see the people.  “Daddy, they look like ants!” said Tim, “Like The Atom! The people are small like The Atom!”

Uncle Clark and Daddy chuckled. “And there’s my house,” Uncle Clark pointed into the distance.

“Where?!” Tim head snapped up, eyes desperately looking for the house they were staying in. “I can’t see it,” he frowned.

“See that little light right there?”

“Uh-huh,” Tim squinted his eyes and nodded.

“That’s Grandma and Grandpa Kent’s house,” Uncle Clark smiled.

“COOL!” Tim giggled. “We can see Grandma and Grandpa’s house from here!” he looked up at Daddy.

“Don’t squirm too much, Tim,” said Daddy, rubbing Tim’s back gently. Tim nodded. “Then later we can tell Grandma and Grandpa that you saw their house from the Ferris wheel, okay?”

Tim nodded again. “Daddy can we eat? I’m hungry,”

Daddy chuckled. “Hand me the bag, Clark, please,” and Uncle Clark handed Daddy the bag. “Don’t tell Alfred, okay?”

Tim’s smile from ear to ear. Daddy had Pop Tarts. Daddy had Pop Tarts! He clapped his tiny hands and reached for the silvery pack when Daddy pulled it out of the bag. “Tarts!” Daddy tore the pack open and broke off a piece to hand to Tim. “Thank you!” said Tim, taking a huge bite from the piece.

“Don’t eat it all in one go, son,” Daddy wiped Tim’s mouth with his handkerchief. “Promise not to tell Alfred?”

“Mhmm!” Tim nodded, making grabby hands at the foil packet when he’d put everything in his hand in his mouth. He frowned when Daddy didn’t let him have it.

“He really likes it, doesn’t he?” Uncle Clark asked, fishing the small bottle of water from the baby bag, and handing it over to Bruce.

“He likes the strawberry ones best,” Daddy replied, taking the bottle of water from Uncle Clark.

Tim loved the strawberry ones. Alfred never really let him and his big brothers have things like that. Tim again made grabby hands when Daddy let him drink from the bottle of water to wash down the treat. He held the bottle with his small hands, even if Daddy had it covered already.

“He’s the least fond of sweets of the three,” Daddy continued, taking the bottle of water away. Uncle Clark took it away and put the cap back on. “Alfred didn’t want him getting used to all that sugar. So sugar rushes aren’t really common event. Dick’s the worst one, as you can tell with the bag of gummy bears he bought,” 

“Yum, yum!” Tim said when Daddy broke off another piece from the foil packet and handed it to Tim.

“Whoa, slow down, Tim,” Uncle Clark was smiling when Tim looked at him.

Tim smiled back and offered Uncle Clark some Pop Tarts. “Poffars?” he asked with a full mouth.

Daddy wiped some crumbs off Tim’s chin. “Don’t talk with your mouth full,”

“Listen to your Dad, Tim, and no thank you. I’m not hungry,” Uncle Clark shook his head.

Tim thought Uncle Ollie was cool, but Uncle Clark was cooler. He’d ask Daddy later if he could call Uncle Clark ‘Papa.’

* * *

Tim had already finished his Pop Tarts when the Ferris wheel moved again. “Thank you, Daddy,” said Tim as Bruce wiped his mouth, and let him have another drink of water.

“You’re welcome, Tim,” Bruce smiled at him.

Clark took the foil packet and the bottle water and put it back in the baby bag. He couldn’t believe it. Tim just said everything. And he’d cut off Bruce by dragging him to the Ferris wheel. He just totally ruined it.

He zipped up the bag and gave it a pat as he set it aside. Tim pulled Bruce’s shirt down so that he’d bend over. Bruce followed, and Tim placed a kiss on his cheek. “Love you, Daddy,”

Someone shoot him now.

“Love you, too, Tim,”

Seriously, please.

The Ferris wheel came to a stop and it was now time for them to step out. Clark took the bag and Tim off of Bruce’s lap. As they went past the line to the Ferris wheel, Dick appeared carrying Jason on his back, knocked out. Looked like a day at the carnival was more tiring than kicking bad guy butt. Tim yawned too, rubbed his eyes a little, whined, and reached for Bruce.

“Daddy…”

“Sleepy?” Bruce chuckled, taking Tim from Clark.

“Mmmm,” Tim wrapped his arms around Bruce’s neck and put his head on Bruce’s shoulder.

“After the bump cars, Jason got knocked out, too,” Dick adjusted Jason’s weight on his back.

“Dunmove…” Jason complained absently.

“Time for us to go home then,” Clark too, chuckled at the sight of the tired out children, and they made their way back to the truck.

The ride home was quiet, since Bruce didn’t want to wake up Tim. Ma and Pa were sitting in the living room watching some TV when they arrived. “Hey, Ma, Pa,” said Clark, opening the door for their guests.

Ma smiled. “Aaww, isn’t that just adorable,” she stood up, “I’ll help you settle in the little ones, then you and Clark can go do your thing,” she said, ushering Bruce up the stairs after Clark had taken their coats and hung them in the closet.

Wait. What? What _thing_?

Clark followed Dick and Bruce into his room, and helped tuck Jason in into the spare mattress Ma had prepared on the floor, and Tim on the bed. Bruce was undressing Tim and putting him in his pyjamas, like he did back at the hotel, and Dick was helping a half awake Jason get into his pyjamas. Clark set the Super Bat bear down on the bed beside Tim, who was already hugging his Superbear.

The children were all tucked in when Ma, already dressed for bed, knocked on the slightly ajar door. “I’ll look after them,” she said, smiling fondly at the sleeping children. “You boys go on, now. The night is still young. On with you,” she put her hands on their backs and gently pushed them out the door.

“Ma—”

“Clark,” was all that she said.

“Let’s go, Bruce,” Clark put a gentle hand on Bruce’s upper arm, gathered his coat for him and they stepped outside.

“I don’t understand—”

“Ma just…” Clark started to cut him off once they were on porch. Bruce was looking at him, expecting an explanation, but Clark couldn’t look at him.

“Clark?” Bruce buttoned up his coat.

“Walk with me?” he said finally. Clark might not be able to keep this up anymore.

Bruce gave Clark a smile. “That would be lovely,”

Bruce followed Clark out to the field, where the sky was clear and stars were brightly shining. A cool breeze blew, making Bruce pull up his collar. Clark led them out farther, but not far enough for them to lose sight of the house. A minute out into the field, Clark spoke.

“About what Tim said,” said Clark uncomfortably. He had to man up now. Facing Darkseid? He was good. Admitting his feelings? Not so good. He felt like hurling, holy shit. It was like Mongul just punched him in the gut.

But the atmosphere was calming him down a little. It was sort of romantic. The stars weren’t hiding behind any clouds, the crescent moon was bright, the cool breeze was still slightly blowing and nocturnal insects were making their music.  

“Hmm?” Bruce looked at him as they walked. “Clark, are you okay?” he stopped, and took Clark’s hand so he’d stop as well. “You look troubled,”

“What he said was true,” Clark blurted out, unable to look Bruce in the eye, but forcing himself to.

“I’m sorry?”

Clark took a deep breath, and finally looked into Bruce’s eyes. “I like you. I mean like, really like you. A lot,” he was fidgeting.

He wasn’t this bad with Lois, maybe because he and Lois just kissed? But this. Seeing Batman every single day at the Watchtower, casual dinners, spending time with his children. This was different. It frustrated him, and everything he felt just came out of his mouth like a torrent of water.  

“Like you, like I want to kiss you, and hold you close in bed, hell, come to your rescue even if you don’t want me to just to keep you from getting hurt. To keep you from breaking anything else. I’d babysit Tim if Alfred’s not available, drive Dick and Jason to school—”

“Clark?”

“Yes?” it came out like a plea. A plea for what, Clark didn’t know. He knew he sounded desperate, scared, and that if he didn’t say something his chest might explode. God, if Bruce rejected him, it was going to be awkward as hell on the Tower and everywhere else.

“You can’t drive Dick and Jason to school,” Bruce was still staring at him.

“I beg your pardon?” after everything Clark had said that was all he got? After embarrassing himself at the carnival, and right here in front of the man he’d been wanting for years?

“You can’t drive them to school, they’re home schooled,” Bruce explained, then paused a bit, “But with everything else, I’m good,”

“What?”

And then Bruce pulled his collar towards him and pressed their lips together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, no! What happens to Ollie? D:


	8. Lines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but I know I have to give you guys something. xD

Bruce didn’t just kiss. There was tongue, and he sucked and bit on his lips and Jesus Christ, Bruce could make him come just like this. It was no surprise that Bruce had a talented mouth and tongue, with all of the people he had been with (that did not make Clark jealous, not one bit).

Okay, dammit, he was jealous. But that was a long time ago, so he didn’t have to really worry about that. What he had to worry about was Arrow. If he had been as intimate with Bruce like this. If he shared moments like this with him. But Clark couldn’t bring himself to, not now. Not now when Bruce had his hands grabbing his collar, sliding up to his hair and messing it up. Not now when his own hands couldn’t figure out if he should touch more or pull Bruce closer.

He pulled Bruce closer.

Bruce pulled away.

“Bruce?”

“Clark,” Bruce choked out as he stepped a few steps back.

A breeze blew and the moon shone. The stars joined the moon in lighting up the dark expanse of land the Kents owned. Clark could hear the cars from a highway about ten miles out, the movie playing in a drive in theatre in town, a baby crying and one thing that was louder than all of them, one of the things Clark treasured most: Bruce’s heartbeat.

“I…understand,” Clark said sadly with a nod, deciding that the ground was awfully interesting.

Oh, did Clark get himself in a complicated situation. Great. What was more stupid than going after a person in a relationship? Smooth move, Clark.

“Look, Clark,” said Bruce as he inched forward. “Let me sort things out first, okay? I’m really not that good at relationships, or whore you see on the tabloids—”

Clark’s head snapped up and made eye contact with Bruce. “What? Of course not!” he said defensively, “Why would you think I believe those things?”

Bruce stared at him for a moment, then let out a hysterical, bitter laugh. “I’m right here,” he heaved, as he recovered from the laughing fit. “Making out with another man, while my boyfriend is states away running a corporation, raising a teenager, and fighting crime,”

“No,” said Clark vehemently, “You’re here on a vacation with your children. That’s that. I’m the one who’s wrong here. I’m sorry, and I shouldn’t have said anything at all—”

“And I shouldn’t have kissed you,” Bruce cut him off. “Look, Clark,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Clark shifted in his place. “I return your feelings, I do,”

“You do?” Clark said in surprise.

“I do, Clark,” said Bruce, “You’re a wonderful, amazing person, but this just isn’t the right time,” 

Clark just nodded. “I just…when you and Arrow…I got jealous, okay?”

“I’m sorry, Clark,” said Bruce sincerely.

“But you get to choose, right?” asked Clark, “If I…”

“Clark, just…let me figure things out first,” said Bruce, “I can’t…raise my children and pursue a personal life—” and fight crime, and run a team of super powered humans, “—at the same time.”

“But you’re in a relationship with Arrow?”

“ _I know_! Kal, don’t fucking start on me. I have enough shit with Ollie as it is,” Bruce sighed. “It’s not all dinners and smiles and flowers, okay? It’s way more fucked up than it looks—Jesus Christ,” he turned around. “I knew dating within the team was going to be a disaster,”

For a moment, there were only the sounds of insects, the wind, and the leaves in the trees rustling. But that was for Bruce. Clark could hear everything, but he drowned it all out and focused on Bruce. His heartbeat, his breathing, the blood flowing in his veins. He just wanted to hear Bruce.

“Do you want…?” Bruce started as he turned around. “Do you want to go out for some coffee?”

Clark stared at him for a while, figuring out why Bruce wanted to have coffee, but nodded nonetheless, and fished the truck’s keys out of his pocket. “Yeah, sure, coffee,”  

The ride to the nearest Starbucks was painfully silent and agonizingly long—even if it were only a ten minute drive. Bruce wouldn’t look at him, and Clark wouldn’t dare take his eyes off the road. When they got to the coffee shop, it took another few minutes before they were settled down with coffee and two slices of cheesecake in front of them.

It was Bruce who spoke first.

"About Ollie...” Clark frowned and Bruce sighed, “Clark, this thing I have with Ollie is something we've tried before. To try and see if we can have that same fire we had when we were young. Because the Lord knows how much of a slut we were when we were young. It was the longest fling I had,"

"How long?" Clark asked bravely.

Bruce sipped his coffee. "Three years,"

Clark choked on his. "What? Flings can last that long?"

Bruce winced. "Okay, so maybe it was more of a fuck buddy than a fling. We didn't really see anybody exclusively. We saw everybody. Anybody. Like a new boyfriend-new girlfriend every week, like the tabloids put it. We were each other's booty call, basically,"

Clark cleared his throat. "Wow, you were uh... quite adventurous when you were young,"

"Yeah, sort of," Bruce nodded.

Under the table, Clark fisted a hand summoned the courage to speak. "Bruce, I like you a lot. Like, too much for my own good,"

Bruce looked at his reflection in his cup of dark coffee. “Clark,” he sighed and looked up at him. “There are lines, you know,”

Clark nodded.

“And this is one of those lines I can’t cross,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh god someone shoot me please. i'm not good at drama. i'm going to have to give bruce a lot of shit and i'm not good at that. ;A;


	9. Priorities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I have finally been able to figure out what I want to do in this fic. Thank you so much for the ones who pestered me day in and day out to continue this (not that I really abandoned it anyway). I want to thank you for your hope and support, and the effort you put into pestering me and begging me for an update. You guys are absolutely amazing. If it hadn’t been for you (and of course some people IRL), I probably would not have been able to figure out what course I wanted this story to take. So I hope you enjoy this!
> 
> Unbeta’d as usual.

After that cup of coffee, it sure was hell awkward that Bruce was living, though temporarily, under the same roof as Clark. But that didn’t stop him from giving them the vacation his mother promised. Early the next morning, he woke them up so that Tim could feed the chickens like he wanted, and so that Jason and Dick could watch him milk the cows.

Bruce, even though they were on a holiday away from work, and some of the League work, spent a lot of time on the phone. Sometimes it was Wayne Tech, sometimes it was Arrow calling, but he didn’t eavesdrop. It was their last day, and Bruce was going to leave in a few hours, so Clark would rather not do anything that would piss Bruce off.

“Goodness,” Bruce laughed as Tim came running back to him after feeding the chickens and the cows. He was covered in mud and hay. “What did you do? And where’s Dick and Jason?”

“The boys are in the kitchen helping Ma with lunch,” said Clark, bringing over a wet towel to them. “He decided to hug one of the cows,”

“What?” Bruce knelt to check if Tim was hurt.

“He’s okay,” said Clark, wiping the mud off of Tim’s small face. “I think she liked that hug, because she gave Tim a lift, and when Tim let go he fell into the mud,” he chuckled.

“Well, I don’t think that the towel’s going to be enough. Let’s get you freshened up for lunch,” Bruce moved to carry Tim, but Clark stopped him so that he wouldn’t get dirty.

“You could wash the mud off near the barn if you want,” said Clark, “There’s a small washroom there for rinsing off mud. I’ll bring towels so you can bring Tim back in the house for a shower,”  

“That would be great, thank you,” Bruce smiled gratefully.

Rinsing and the shower went on without much trouble. Lunch went and passed quietly, mostly because the kids were all tired from waking up so early. Tim fell asleep before he could finish his lunch, and Bruce sent Dick and Jason up to take a shower and get ready to leave.

“Such a shame you have to leave so soon,” said Ma, packing some food for them to take home. “No, you will take this home. I can’t bear the thought of this little one getting hungry on your plane home,” she said, pressing a quick kiss on Tim’s forehead.

Bruce smiled at the gesture as he shifted Tim’s weight in his arms. He didn’t want to be put down, and Bruce, fearing that it might lead to a tantrum, just decided it would be best to let him be held. “Thank you for the food,” said Bruce, “And thank you for inviting us to your home, but I really cannot be away from work too long,”

Ma nodded sadly. “I understand, but you come back with these beautiful children, you hear?”

Bruce chuckled. “I hear,”

“Don’t scare him away, dear,” Pa smiled as he put the food containers in a paper bag. “You take care, son,” said Pa. “Clark put all your things in the living room so it’d be easy for him to load it in the truck later—”

“Oh, no,” said Bruce, “Ollie sent a car to pick us up,”

“Ollie’s not coming to pick you up?” asked Clark as he set down Bruce’s luggage at the foot of the stairs.

“Unfortunately no,” answered Bruce. “I’ve heard he’s quite busy,”

Clark thought Bruce sounded annoyed but he let it pass. “So who’s going to pick you up?”

“A car service will,”

Moments later, a car stopped in front of the house, and after goodbye hugs and kisses for Ma and Pa, Clark had to help Bruce and the boys into the car with their luggage, and watch their service drive them away. He sighed.

* * *

The drive to the airport was long; Tim was inconsolable--angry at Bruce that he didn't wake him up to say goodbye to his new grandparents, and that was one of the worst flights Bruce had ever had.

* * *

As soon as Alfred opened the main door to the manor, Bruce placed Tim in his arms.

He and the boys had just gotten back from Smallville, and the flight had the children all tuckered out. He too was tired, but he had to patrol for at least a while before joining them in the bedroom. But even though

“Alfred,” said Bruce as he gave the butler the sleeping child. Tim whined, but quickly fell back asleep as he was placed in his foster-grandfather’s arms.

“Sir,” said Alfred urgently, “Mr. Queen is waiting for you in the family room,”

Bruce nodded. “Take the children to my bedroom and stay there with them,”

“Bruce?” Dick said worriedly as he looked up at him, holding the hand of a half asleep Jason as they entered the manor. “What’s going on?”

“Go with Alfred,” said Bruce as he gently pushed Dick towards Alfred, who was halfway towards the stairs. “Go, now. No questions,”

“Hurry now, children,” said Alfred as he led them up the stairs.

“Alfred?” said Dick, “Is there something wrong?” he frowned.

“Nothing that you and your brothers should concern yourselves with,” said Alfred, trying to get them to Bruce’s room as fast as possible. “Master Bruce and Mr. Queen are going to have a conversation that is much too sensitive for your young ears,”

Dick’s frown didn’t disappear. Bruce and Ollie were going to fight. Again.

* * *

When Bruce thought the children were out of earshot, he entered the family room where Ollie was waiting, sitting with crossed legs on one of the sofas with a cold cup of tea and untouched crumpets in front of him on the coffee table.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” asked Bruce as he approached him, “You know the boys play with my phone. What could have possibly compelled you to send me a picture of your junk?”

“I don’t know,” said Ollie casually, looking at Bruce as if he’d done nothing wrong. “I wanted to know if you missed me,”

Bruce sighed, deciding to let it go so that this wouldn’t escalate into a heated argument. “Ollie. I’m tired, and the kids are tired. Can we talk about something else?”

“Talk?” Ollie stood up as his temper snapped and his voice rose. “You wanna talk about something else? Fine! Let’s talk about something else!” he said louder. “Did he fuck you in his barn?”

“Excuse me?” Bruce said incredulously.

“You heard me,” said Ollie, “Did he fuck you in his barn?”

“Why?!” Bruce demanded. “Did you fuck Dinah in her office?”

Ollie’s eyes widened. “You leave her out of this!”  he said angrily.

“Now cheating matters because I spent a few days with him?” Bruce laughed bitterly. “That’s rich, coming from you! You don’t think I know that you’ve been seeing your ex-wife and fucking your secretary behind my back?”

“Like you haven’t been going out on dates to every hotel in Gotham and Metropolis!” Ollie spat back heatedly.

“As if you were available enough between Star City, Queen Industries, Roy, and Dinah to come with me! Do you know how many fundraisers, awareness programs, charity events you missed, Ollie? All of which, you were supposed to be there because you’re an influential person, but you were too busy fucking your secretary!”

“Hey, I went to that last one!” Ollie countered defensively.

“I tried to squeeze in another party just so you can give an appearance and so the tabloids would shut up! And while I thank you for acting decently that night, do you have any idea how hard Roy and I are working to keep the media from releasing photos and articles of you and your inability to keep it inside your pants?!”

That shut Ollie up. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t still angry.

“I can’t believe you,” Bruce said as he tried to calm down. “You were the one who came to me, asking me to come back to you like some Nicholas Sparks romance novel happened to us back when we were kids,”

Ollie didn’t immediately reply. He knew nothing he can say make things to the way they were. They weren't kids anymore, Ollie knew that. A simple 'I'm sorry' could never be enough to make it go away. “Bruce—” Ollie started to say.

“No, Ollie,” Bruce cut him off tiredly. “I’m exhausted. From the trip, from trying to get Tim to sleep, and I’m tired of this game you’re playing. I can’t do this. You’re very good at a game that I don’t want to play. It’s over. We’re over. I can’t do this anymore. I have tried and tried to save whatever this is you wanted us to have, but I don’t think this even mattered to you,”

“It matters!” Ollie insisted. “It does matter! I—”

“No,” Bruce shook his head. “No. No more. We're already too old to keep on playing games. I’ve had enough.”

“Then what do you want?” that came out harsher and angrier than Ollie had intended. “Do you want to go running to Clark and beg him to fuck you?” and that wasn’t really what he wanted to say. The words already escaped him and all Ollie could do was watch as shit hit the fan.

“What do I want?” Bruce repeated, ignoring that comment about Clark. “What do I want? I wanted you to be faithful. I wanted you to understand that I will always put my children first. I wanted you to respect me. You think I’m just some booty call for you that you had to send me inappropriate pictures knowing my kids would see it? Is that what you think of me, Ollie? Is that the way you treat Roy? You send him dick pics?”

“No, of course not—”

“Then why?” Bruce interrupted him. “I wanted you to try. I wanted you to put effort into this, I wanted you with me in this!”

“You don’t think I tried?!”

“If you did, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now and I wouldn’t have to break up with you!” Bruce frowned. “You don’t think I know about your little ploy that you had to act all sweet to me whenever Clark is around?”

Ollie opened his mouth to say something but he closed it when Bruce shook his head.

“No. you don’t get to turn this around and blame it on me, Ollie. We’re over. Don’t ever come near me or my children ever again. Please leave. You know the way out,” he turned around and left the room.

“Bruce!”  

Bruce didn’t respond and closed the door. The heard the crash of china and the clutter of silverware, but ignored it. He headed up for his bedroom to let his children help him calm down before he went out for patrol.

When he entered the room, all three boys were dressed in pajamas and sleeping on his bed, with Alfred sitting on the chaise near the French doors leading to the terrace. The sight of them made him smile a little and quickly eased the tightening in his chest.

“Sir?” Alfred approached him.

“Look after them, Alfred,” said Bruce, taking off his top as he went into the bathroom. “I’m going on patrol,”

Alfred frowned.

“I broke up with him, and he’s not allowed to see the kids,” Bruce threw the top into the hamper, and grabbed a fresh wife beater from the closet and put it on. “I’ll be back before sun up,”

* * *

 

Two store robberies and about four muggings in the last three hours. The sun was going to rise in less than an hour, and he promised Alfred he’d be back home before that, but he still wanted to stay out and beat the shit out of some idiot gang member who’d try to fight back just to let the heat and tension out of him.

‘How dare he,’ Bruce thought as he dodged a knife from the fifth mugging that night. ‘How dare he!’he thought again as he crouched low, and swung his leg around and knocked the thief down, ‘How dare that indelicate, disgusting son of a bitch do that to my boys!’ and knocked him out. Out of anger, he punched harder than he wanted and intended to, and broke the guy’s nose.

He grabbed the purse, and threw it back at the shaking woman. “Jim, bring a medic. I’ve got an incapacitated mugger in Park Row west of Ace Chemicals,” he said into the communicator as he cuffed the unconscious man to an exposed pipeline.

He cut the comms link, and found himself resting on top of the Ace Chemicals building moments later, looking out at Solomon Wayne Courthouse.  

The night was chilly. It bothered Bruce, but he could stand it. Better out here relieving his frustrations through his fists and getting the satisfaction of broken noses and knocking criminals unconscious. If only he could do that Ollie’s face. But he wouldn’t because that wouldn’t really give him any satisfaction or relieve his anger.  

He wasn’t even that mad about Ollie’s infidelity. He expected that, as bad as it may seem, that Ollie would cheat. He tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. He could let it slide that Ollie had been a cheating son of a bitch, but knowing full well that Bruce let the boys play with his non-business phone all they wanted, and sent him inappropriate photos—that was just as bad as showing the boys his junk personally. That Bruce was never going to forgive.

He couldn’t even find the right words for it. Disgusting, just downright vile and outrageous it made Bruce want to chop it off. It made him feel like he could destroy that sandbag in the cave.

“You okay?”

Bruce looked up and saw Clark land silently beside him on the roof of an abandoned building. Clark made a quick scan of him, making sure there were no broken bones or torn muscles, just in case.

“No,” answered Bruce curtly. “What are you doing here?”

Clark’s brows met in worry. “I heard things,” he said carefully.

Bruce raised a brow under the cowl.

“I heard Ollie destroy your coffee table,” Clark remedied quickly. “That’s it, I promise. I thought he hurt you,”  

Bruce pressed something on his belt, and Clark heard the Batwing engage from a distance. “Not now, Clark,” he raised his grapnel gun and fired, and the Batwing lifted him off the roof, back to the cave.

Clark sighed as he watched the aircraft fly Bruce away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I wanted Ollie to be understanding and just let it go. But then I remembered, Ollie is a big cheating son of a bitch. Then I couldn't decide what to do with him. So if I didn’t do this, what was the point of letting Clark go through all I made him go through all those chapters ago? Right?
> 
> Idk I think it’s shitty too I’m sorry. ;_;
> 
> I almost published this with "Queen Industries" as "Queen Consolidated." Man, I miss Arrow.
> 
> I would also like to know what you thought of Ollie's reactions and Bruce's decision! Hearing your thoughts would be lovely!


End file.
